Disappointment, disbelief and fear filled my mind as I lye on my side, sandwiched between the cold,

soft dirt and the hot, slick metal of the car. The weight of the car pressed down on the lower half of
my body with monster force. It did not hurt, my body was numb. All I could feel was the car hood's
mass stamping my body father and farther into the ground. My lungs felt pinched shut and air would
neither enter nor escape them. My mind was buzzing. What had just happened? In the distance, on
that cursed road, I saw cars driving by completely unaware of what happened, how I felt. I tried to
yell but my voice was unheard. All I could do was wait. Wait for someone to help me or wait to die.
The third maddening buzz of my alarm woke me as I groggily slid out of bed to the shower. It was the
start of another routine morning, or so I thought. I took a shower, quarreled with my sister over
which clothes she should wear for that day and finished getting myself ready. All of this took a little
longer than usual, not a surprise, so we were running late. We hopped into the interior of my sleek,
white Thunderbird and made our way to school.
With music blasting, voices singing and talking, it was another typical ride to school with my sister.
Because of our belated departure, I went fast, too fast. We started down the first road to our
destination. This road is about three miles long and filled with little hills. As we broke the top of one
of the small, blind hills in the middle of the right lane was a dead deer. Without any thought, purely
by instinct I pulled the wheel of the car to the left and back over to the right. No big deal but I was
going fast. The car swerved back to the left, to the right, to the left. Each time I could feel the car
scratching the earth with its side. My body jolted with the sporadic movements of the car. The car
swerved to the right for the last time. With my eyes sealed tight, I could feel my body float off the
seat of the car.
I opened my eyes to see the black road in the distance above me. I could feel the cold ground on the
side of my body. I couldn't move and couldn't understand why. It had happened so quickly. I lay
there until my mind comprehended what had happened. I was wedged between the hood of the car
and the dirt. The car rustled, every movement of the car pierced my body. It was my sister. She was
okay. I could see her slowly crawl out of the back seat window then tear away. I opened my mouth
to yell her name but air failed to escape my lips. Gasping like a fish out of water, I dreamily lied there
until someone would help.
I heard an uneasy voice in the distance, "Betsy! Oh my God! Betsy!" It was my dad. I was
disappointed and embarrassed of myself. I had let him down. My voice yelled for help as my heart
beat rapidly with fear and relief. The car jiggled. I could feel the weight of the car lift slowly off me.
For the first time, intense pain struck my lower half. "Crawl out of there," someone yelled to me. I
pushed against the ground with all my might but I couldn't move. The pain was excruciating,
nevertheless I could not feel the lower half of my body. I felt paralyzed. Still struggling to move, I felt
strong arms glide around my shoulders and under my armpits. They drug me out of the way of the
falling car. My dad had saved me. As I lye on the weed covered ground, several people surrounded
me. I dreamily looked around and saw my sister sitting Indian style next to me, plastered in blood.
She had run barefoot to the nearest house to call 911 and my dad. She was my angel. We sat there
in shock. Was it just a dream? Everything had happened so fast. Every minute lying on that dirt felt
like a lifetime. Strangers kept poking every inch of my body and prodding me with questions that I
didn't have answers to. Finally, the ambulance arrived. They rushed over to my sister and I. They
asked me a number of questions that I obliviously answered and started to get me ready to go. With
a bright orange brace around my neck they slowly pushed me onto a stiff backboard. Each tiny
movement they made pierced my lower half like a knife. We finally made it into the ambulance and

made our way to the hospital.

My sister and I were sent to Delta Hospital. My sister was all right. She had stitches in her eye, head
and elbow. I was relieved that she was not severely injured. I don't know what I would have done if
something extremely bad had happened to her. I was sent to the Denver Memorial Hospital, where I
went under surgery that same night around midnight. A plate was put on my hipbones to help them
stay together. I was in the hospital for six days and in a wheel chair for around eight weeks.
I have now realized how precious life really is and that it can be taken away in a single minute. This is
even easier when you are driving a car. One little mishap can result in extreme injury or even death. I
am lucky that my sister is all right and that I lived. I will never forget that moment when I was lying
on the ground, disappointment flooding my mind, waiting.

A Road Accident
Road accidents are reported in newspaper and on television every day. There are more
frequently caused by reckless drivers rather than faulty vehicles. Last Saturday, while I was travelling
from Ipoh, I witnessed a serious accident. The scene of the accidents was vivid in my mind.
A motorcyclist was following behind was taxi very closely. He was so impatient that he was
trying to overtake my taxi even near a sharp bend. At that critical moment, there was an oncoming
car. The taxi driver swerved to the roadside and I got a terrible jolt. It was too late for the
motorcyclist to avoid the car. His motorcycle ran against the bumper of the car and smashed its
windscreen. The motorcyclist somersaulted over the car and was found lying in a pool of blood. It
was a scene to chill the flesh! The car driver, who was cut by the flying glass, was in a state of shock.
All that happened in split second and fear overwhelmed us.
The taxi driver stopped his taxi and I quickly ran to the nearest to the nearest telephone
booth to inform the police and the hospital. From a distance I could see some people trying to help
the injured motorcyclist and the car driver. They carried them into one of the onlookers car and
sent them to the hospital for treatment. Meanwhile the taxi driver tried to control and directs the
traffic. Soon the police arrived and they promptly took some measurements and evidence. After that
they moved the damaged car and the motorcycle to the roadside to ease the traffic congestion. They
also took down the evidence provided by witnesses and onlookers. Some sweepers were clearing
the debris and the blood stains on the road.
When the taxi finally continued the journey, I silently thanked God for my narrow escape. I
learned a good lesson that impatience and recklessness would bring harm and danger. I was happy
to see that Malaysians are public-spirited and they render help to others readily. Since then I
remember and follow the saying more haste less speed and prevention is better than cure. I
believe good road manners and roads safety campaigns can help to reduce the number of road
accidents which cause injuries, loss and lives and properties.

Narrative Essay: Road accident

One day in December i went to my relatives to visit them, at that time i just got out of the
collage late and wanted to get there fast, but guess what .. BAAAM ! there was an accident.
I was driving 160km/h then i saw people stopping so afcourse i was curiouse and wanted to
see what happened, so i slowed down then i saw two cars which they are totally wrecked, but
the drivers were safe thank God, i had a guess that it was all because of speed so i slowed
down from 160 to 100 and from that day i learned that speed wont make you closer to any
destination but death. I got there safe and sound, and had a great time with my family, it was
a nice weekend.
Speed isnt everything, try your best keeping yourself from harm, the bravery is knowing
when to stop not in when to start. Enjoy your 80km/h drive.
I understand what you mean, but it's incorrect in English to say 'I will for ..'. We do not have the
ability to make the smallest difference by 'willing' anything. Instead our 'will' is expressed passively as
'being determined' or 'being persistent' .. we could say having a strong 'will' to suffer hardship, or
withstand pain or temptation.
.. but since we understand each other now, I will do as you desire !
I remember the day it happened as [if it were] yesterday., when I was driving with my family to
attend a wedding party in Maidan Shar which is located about 30km south Kabul, when the accident
happened[.] and a[A]mazingly everyone was fine after[wards], thanks to almighty God[ ... this is a
very islamic statement and strikes a slightly discordant note with English readers. Instead you could
say - Amazingly, and thank God, everyone was fine afterwards ].
A new paragraph here will make it easier to read, and your narration of the event begins here
making it a fresh logical block
We started driving there around 1300 on local time; after passing several kilo[-]meters of the way
finally we [finally] reached to a hill located near to m[M]aidan Shahr, it's [which is] about 100-200m
higher. a[A]fter passing it, I was driving down, when I want[ed] it to increase my speed it[which] was
about 130km/h already. and t[T]he truck in front of me was full of stones and construction materials,
when suddenly some stones and material [were] thrown on street, and it got[getting] under my car
tires., so m[M]y car just rolled over about 3 times, and finally crash[ing]ed [into] the near[by] hill and
stopped., amazingly no one was hurt, the time w[W]hen the car stop[ped] the only thing I remember
about it, I was looking for my little brother who was about 9 years old., w[W]hen I found that
everything was fine, [-I-] broke the window glass of the car and came out [to]and helped others too,
a[A]lso [the people in] the car which was behind us, helped us to get out.
A fresh paragraph here makes it sort evenly spread
The craziest thing was; when people were passing by, they were asking about how many are[were]
dead or injured. [but] Nno one was helping., in addition [Later]when [the] traffic police arrived, they
were asking about[for] bribes and some money and they excused[only let us go] after they
underst[ood]and that I work[ed]ing with Ministry of Interior of this country. I called back home to
my brother and uncle and they arrived., and w[W]e were back home after[within] an hour, and
[but]missed the party. The thing w[W]e learned from this accident was to never drive fast, and [to]

be careful about trucks and cars which are driving before[ahead] and behind you.,
Making this stand by itself makes it like a punch line, a finale
as w[W]e have a famous expression about it "Driving fast is the act of welcoming death".

Traumatic events come in many different ways at many different times of ones life. Mine came on
the school bus while I was on my way home from school. The bus had stopped to let a couple kids
off and I stood up to throw some trash away. I stood up we were rear ended by a young lady who
had been trying to get a bee out of the car and not realized the bus had stopped. I was standing up
and the impact caused me to bang into the seat in front of me and the one behind me. I didnt
realize what had happened until moments later when someone said something. As I began to sit
down I felt a sharp pain shoot through my body and my heart started to beat rapidly.
The accident made me realize that nothing is for certain and you shouldnt take anything for
granted. I had always viewed riding a school bus has something that wouldnt put me in danger,
after all the drivers are trained professionals, right? What I never considered was the actions of
others and how complete strangers can change your life in a bigger and more significant way than
some of the people closes to you. I had never really considered dying at a young age because my
grandparents lived to be old. After that bus ride home my outlook on life was severely changed and I
started to appreciate my parents more an tell them I loved them a lot more often because wasnt
sure if wed both be around to say it the next time.
The car accident will always be a major moment in my life because of what it showed me. That
accident gave me visual proof that God has a plan for everyone and everything has a reason or
hidden message. Just when I was coming to a point in my life where I was beginning to see where I
fit in at school, it reminded me to cherish every moment has though it was my last, because I dont
know when itll be over. I know its kind of a sad way to view life but I really dont see it that way. I
see it has more of a reason to cherish every moment and live life with no regrets

Wild Ride
Can you imagine being thrown from a car at 30mph? Well, I never thought I could until this
happened to me in the summer of 1999.
It was a gorgeous June afternoon, and summer had just begun. I had just gotten my license, and I
couldnt wait to go cruisin in my parents new yellow Ford Expedition. I had spent the day at my
friends house, and now I was on my way home. I was almost home, I just had to turn onto the gravel
road to get to my house. While I was turning, I was trying to put in a mix CD I had just made, and
trying to turn the corner at the same time. I guess I was going a little too fast, because all of a
sudden, I found myself lying in the ditch, outside of my truck. I had the bitter taste of blood in my
mouth.
I slowly got up on one leg and struggled up to the road. There was an old white pickup coming down
the road and I waved it down. It was a farmer and he called an ambulance on his cell phone. While
we were waiting for the ambulance I was hysterical. I couldnt move or feel my left arm or leg. I felt
like I was going to pass out from the pain in my broken limbs. The farmer did everything he could
think of to calm me down a little bit. He asked me questions about family, school, and pretty much
anything he could think of. I learned all about his wife, and his family; his grandkids, and even their
grandkids. Eventually, after what seemed like three hours waiting for the ambulance, it finally got
there. The paramedics rushed out, and loaded me into the wailing vehicle.
The whole way to the hospital they asked me questions about my injuries and on what I remember

about the incident. The pain was almost unbearable, so I told enough of what they wanted to hear,
just so theyd shut up. They put my arm and leg in splints and finally gave me something for the pain.
After about 15 minutes in the ambulance we got to the hospital and they hauled me into the X-ray
room and took X-rays of my arm and leg. They found out that my forearm bone and the bone under
the bicep was broken in my left arm and that I had broken my fibula in my left leg. The breaks
werent that serious, so they didnt require any surgery or pins, thank goodness. Besides being alive,
that was the best news I had heard all day. After that, they brought me back to the room and
molded casts for my arm and leg. The one on my arm was neon pink, and the one on my leg was
camouflage. One bad thing was that the broken bones wouldnt allow me to use crutches, so I had to
get around in a motorized wheelchair for a couple of weeks. My wheelchair was awesome! I had
gotten it from my grandpa Burt. Grandpa Burt passed away 2 years agoand Grandma Bertha
decided it was time for her to come to terms with his death. So she mustered up all of her courage,
and went into his closet, and got the wheelchair for me.
I ended up having the casts on for 6 weeks. I got to ditch the wheelchair after about a month. I
kind of missed itJ The one good thing about losing it though was that I got a lot of attention from the
girls, because they carried around my books for me. After that experience (my whole accident, not
the attention from the girls!!) I learned a lot. I learned that it is very important to pay attention to
the road while driving, not your CD player. I had to learn that the hard way. I totally jeopardized my
life for a stupid CD that I wanted to listen to. I am lucky to be alive. Now, I slow down in life, and take
my time. I dont rush things, and when Im driving, I pay attention to the road, and ONLY the road!

One nice day in the summer my friends, Yvette, Katie, and Kristi, and I were heading up to the Lil Jon
& The Eastside Boys concert. Everything was going fine. We made it up there with no problem,
found the Excel Center. When we were parked we decided that we wanted to park closer, so I
backed out and all of a sudden we heard a bang and my car wouldnt start. We started freaking out,
because we stuck up against this car I hit. We then asked some guys to help push it into a parking
spot, when it was in neutral. Fifteen minutes later the guy came and saw his car and I went over and
admitted to him what happened. So he called the cops and they came over and figured everything
out. That night my parents found out what had happened and had to pay for it. After that accident
happened I wasnt able to buy a sound system for my car, I had to work more, and I couldnt see my
friends as much. These are big changes in my life that I didnt think would happen at that time.
I was not able to buy a sound system for my car, because I had to pay my parents back. I had over
a thousand dollars in my account saved for a system and with it I was planning on buying an amp,
subwoofers, and maybe speakers and a deck. Even though my car came with a subwoofer, Infinity
speakers, and a cad player, I still wanted something bigger and better. I was sad that I had to give my
money to my parents to help pay for the damage, because I didnt expect to save up that much
money to pay for an accident. I am now going to have to wait to save that money up again and buy
them later.
Now that I had to pay back my parents and still pay for my car I had to start working more. I
already had an extremely busy schedule with dance, Youth in Government, and I was just going to
start gymnastics. Having dance three days a week, meetings for Youth in Government every once in
a while, and gymnastics made four days I couldnt work in a week. Then having to put enough work
in my rigorous schedule to pay back my parents would leave just enough time to do my homework. I
feel at my age that I shouldnt be doing as many stressful things as I am. It sure wasnt something I
expected to be doing.
Now since Im working all the time and doing all my other curricular activities I have almost no
time for my friends except on the weekends. I spent almost everyday hanging out with my friends

having a good time. Now that I cant be with them as much I think Im slowly growing farther away
from a few of them, because I dont see them much in school either. I feel that the little time on the
weekends I have is not enough to be the way we used to be. I didnt realize that something so small
as an accident would spread my friends and I apart.
Now that I look back at the accident that happened I wish that we had stayed in that parking spot
and never decided to move. If that wouldnt have happened, then I would have been able to get that
system I worked so hard for. I also wouldnt be working as much as I am now and would be able to
have my socials life back. I definitely would love to be as close to my friends as I used to be. But the
saying does go that everything happens for a reason and maybe thats to show me responsibility.

English vocabulary about accidents

I hope that you'll never be involved in an accident, but if you have conversation about one,
these words and phrases will be useful.

Types of accidents
a collision = when two vehicles drive into each other.
a mid-air collision = when two planes collide in the air
a head-on collision = when two cars collide front to front
a car crash = when there's a serious car accident involving another car or object, or not
involving anything else
a derailment = when a train comes off the rails
a (multiple) pile-up = when more than one car crashes into another car, especially on a busy
road or motorway

Describing an accident
An accident occurred / happened between two cars travelling in the same / opposite
direction. One car was travelling at speed (at X miles per hour)
As the driver was rounding the corner, he drove straight into another car which was on
the wrong side of the road. The driver lost control of the car and ploughed into the other
lane / overturned / drove into an oncoming vehicle / into a tree.
As the driver was overtaking another / went through a red light / he drove straight into
oncoming traffic
A lorry jackknifed, spilling its load over the road.
A car skidded on a wet / oily surface and the driver lost control.
The brakes failed / the car driver misjudged the distance.
The car was speeding / doing 80mph in a 30mph area.
The driver was under the influence of alcohol / drugs / on his mobile phone at the time.
The accident was due to pilot / human error.

The results of an accident

There were no fatalities (people killed)

Five people were taken to hospital with major / minor injuries / for shock.
The driver was shaken, but unhurt.
The passengers were escorted safely from the train.
Firecrews had to cut the passengers out of the wreckage.
The car was a write-off. (The damage was so bad there was no point in claiming insurance)
Fortunately, there was only minimal damage / we escaped with only a couple of scratches
on the bodywork.

Have you ever been in a car accident? In todays lesson, youre going to learn expressions for
describing different types of accidents, their causes, and results.
Lets begin with the difference between a car accident and a car crash. Car accident is the
most general term it can describe any type of accident, major or minor, and it can involve
only one car or two or more cars.
A car crash involves a collision when a car hits an object with a violent impact. We can
also use crash as a verb for example, the car crashed into a tree, or the car crashed into a
telephone pole.
Here are four specific types of accidents:

When two vehicles crash into each other while traveling in opposite directions, we call this a
head-on collision. This is one of the deadliest types of accidents.

On the other end of the spectrum is a fender-bender. This describes a small accident with
very minor damage to the cars involved.
When multiple cars hit each other, this is called a pile-up. Pile-ups often occur when the
weather and road conditions are bad.

Sometimes a car hits a person, but instead of stopping, the driver of the car drives away.
This type of accident is called a hit and run.

Now well look at four descriptions of accidents, and learn the verbs used for talking about
them.

#1 I slammed on the brakes to avoid running over a dog.

To slam on the brakes means to try to stop the car very suddenly, often in an emergency. In
this case, the driver wanted to avoid running over a dog the phrasal verb run over is used
when a car passes over an object, animal, or person.
#2 The taxi sideswiped a parked car and then rear-ended a van.

Sideswiped means the taxi hit the side of the parked car while passing it. Rear-ended means
the taxi hit the back of the van.

#3 The driver lost control of the car and plowed into the guardrail.

Inexperienced drivers can lose control of the car, especially when driving at high speeds, at
night, or in bad weather. The phrasal verb plowed into is an alternative way to say crashed
into.

This is a guardrail
#4 Lots of cars were skidding on the icy road, and I saw one that had rolled over.

The verb skid means to slide without control on a slippery surface like ice. If a car rolls over,
that means it turns upside down.
Factors causing car accidents

Car accidents can be caused by a number of factors. Here are some of the most common.

speeding driving faster than the speed limit

tailgating this is when one car drives extremely close behind another car. Its dangerous
because if the first car stops suddenly, the second car will not have time to stop.
drunk driving driving under the influence of alcohol. To test for the level of alcohol in a
drivers blood, police use a breathalyzer test.
weather conditions rain, snow, and ice can make the road slick or slippery. There can also
be poor visibility (difficulty to see) due to fog or darkness
reckless driving the word reckless means not careful so reckless driving means
driving dangerously, not carefully for example, people who change lanes without using the
turn signal, or who drive impatiently and without careful observation or consideration

road rage when a driver gets angry at another driver, and begins driving aggressively
distractions when the driver is paying attention to other things for example, their cell
phone and not watching the road.

Results of car accidents

Finally, lets look at the results of an accident.

We can say the car is damaged and the people in the cars are injured or killed. A more
formal word for someone killed in an accident is a fatality for example, there were three
fatalities or luckily, there were no fatalities.
One common injury in car accidents is whiplash an injury to the neck due to the sudden
impact; when your head goes forward or backwards very suddenly. If someone in the car
wasnt wearing a seatbelt, they could be thrown from the vehicle this means they flew out
of the vehicle and landed some distance away.
When a car is badly damaged so that it cant be driven, then it needs to be towed
transported by another vehicle, which is called a tow truck. (Your car can also be towed if
you park in a prohibited area).

A car being towed by a tow truck

Theres a special word for when the car is damaged so badly it cant be repaired we say the
car is totaled.
Finally, if the occupants of the car were shaken but unhurt, it means that they were
emotionally agitated (shaken), but they had no injuries (unhurt).

Out of this nettle, danger, we pluck this flower, safety. ~William Shakespeare

For safety is not a gadget but a state of mind. ~Eleanor Everet

Safety doesn't happen by accident. ~Author Unknown

"Safety First" is "Safety Always." ~Charles M. Hayes

Better a thousand times careful than once dead. ~Proverb

Precaution is better than cure. ~Edward Coke

As soon as you see a mistake and don't fix it, it becomes your mistake. ~Author Unknown

Safety is a cheap and effective insurance policy. ~Author Unknown

Who can hope to be safe? who sufficiently cautious?

Guard himself as he may, every moment's an ambush.
~Horace

Safety means first aid to the uninjured. ~Author Unknown

Accidents, and particularly street and highway accidents, do not happen - they are
caused. ~Ernest Greenwood

Prepare and prevent, don't repair and repent. ~Author Unknown

Chance takers are accident makers. ~Author Unknown

Hug your kids at home, but belt them in the car. ~Author Unknown

It's better to crash into a nap than to nap into a crash. ~Author Unknown

Luck runs out but safety is good for life. ~Author Unknown

There is no safety in numbers, or in anything else. ~James Thurber

Accidents hurt - safety doesn't. ~Author Unknown

Working safely may get old, but so do those who practice it. ~Author Unknown

The door to safety swings on the hinges of common sense. ~Author Unknown

Working without safety is a dead-end job. ~Author Unknown

Know safety, no injury. No safety, know injury. ~Author Unknown

We now have unshakable conviction that accident causes are man-made and that a
manmade problem can be solved by men and women. ~W.H. Cameron

Carelessness doesn't bounce; it shatters. ~Terri Guillemets

Safety never takes a holiday. ~Author Unknown

Danger never takes a vacation. ~Author Unknown

When you gamble with safety, you bet your life. ~Author Unknown

If safety is a joke, then death is the punchline. ~Paul Laforest

Is better to lose one minute in life... than to lose life in a minute. ~Author Unknown

While on a ladder, never step back to admire your work. ~Author Unknown

Hearing protection is a sound investment. ~Author Unknown

To learn about eye protection, ask someone who has one. ~Author Unknown

Safety glasses: making foresight 20/20. ~Author Unknown

Your safety gears are between your ears. ~Author Unknown

Broken tools can be replaced. You can't. ~Author Unknown

Personal protective equipment is self-defense. ~Author Unknown

Tomorrow - your reward for working safely today. ~Attributed to Robert Pelton

Unsafe acts will keep you in stitches. ~Author Unknown

Don't learn safety by accident. ~Author Unknown

If you mess up, 'fess up. ~Author Unknown

Road sense is the offspring of courtesy and the parent of safety. ~Australian Traffic Rule,
quoted in Quotations for Special Occasions by Maud van Buren, 1938

Safety is as simple as ABC - Always Be Careful. ~Author Unknown

Safety isn't expensive, its priceless. ~Author Unknown

Be alert! Accidents hurt. ~Author Unknown

Alert today, alive tomorrow. ~Author Unknown

Better dead sure than sure dead. ~Author Unknown

If you don't think it's safe, it probably isn't. ~Author Unknown

When safety is a factor, call in a contractor. ~Author Unknown

Wishing won't keep you safe - safety will. ~Author Unknown

Working safely is like breathing - if you don't, you die. ~Author Unknown

The safest risk is the one you didn't take. ~Author Unknown

Safety isn't just a slogan, it's a way of life. ~Author Unknown