| Author | Message | ||
     mem Citizen Username: Mem Post Number: 4686 Registered: 5-2001  |
I commute to work on the Garden State Parkway, and there is rarely a day when there are no accidents. Usually, there are more than one, both going to work and coming home. I figured the odds of someone here having had an accident on the GSP are pretty high then. Anyone? If so, how did it happen? | ||
| Cathy Supporter Username: Clkelley Post Number: 708 Registered: 6-2002 |
Yes. But not on my morning parkway commute north. My husband was driving, and we pulled off at the Route 1 South exit. There was a long backup on the ramp, and we weren't moving at all. Just sitting there. He and I were chit-chatting when all of a sudden BANG!!!! We were hit so hard, we were pushed into the car in front of us. Thank God, nobody was hurt, not even a little - but our two-year old car (a Civic) was totalled. The guy who slammed into us totalled his car too (damage was way worse than our car). He was reading in the car. Apparently, mapquest directions - he was on his way to his daughter's wedding. The only person involved who "saw it coming" was his wife, who looked grey - can you imagine it - "HONEY PAY ATTENTION TO THE G-D ROAD!!" as you zoom towards a parked car at 55 mph? He never even braked. This happened on a Saturday I think. We were on our way to my niece's 5th birthday party. | ||
| Just The Aunt Supporter Username: Auntof13 Post Number: 600 Registered: 1-2004  |
I was a passenger in a car that played ping pong off the divider in Homdel back in 1984. But it was 2am at the time. | ||
| AlleyGater Citizen Username: Alleygater Post Number: 120 Registered: 10-2004 |
It was raining around 5:30PM midweek a few months back. Everyone was going fast (at least 55) and weren't bothered by the rain. Suddenly everyone stopped short. I saw the car in front of me stopping short, so I stopped short. Then the car behind me (a pickup truck) skidded on the slick rainy road and hit me. The car behind the truck slammed into her, and his entire front end squished. My car had a small amount of damage to the tail end, the truck was entirely unscathed and the last car had to be towed away. | ||
| SO Refugee Citizen Username: So_refugee Post Number: 8 Registered: 2-2005  |
I was heading south in late spring of last year during the evening rush headed to Red Bank. A few miles before the Driscoll Bridge, we were stuck in stop-and-go traffic when I noticed a huge Ford F-250 that had the hitch for a snow plow on its front bumper (the actual plow was not attached) barreling down on me from behind. Fortunately, it stopped in time. We moved along then, came to another stop and guess what happened - the truck rammed into the back of my car with the hitch plowing (pun intended) through my bumper and exploding my drum-sized coffee all over the inside of my car. We pull over to discuss the incident and the idiot asks me if we can take care of this "between ourselves" because, for some reason, this is the second accident that he's been in during the past two months. I didn't feel bad about not giving him the lowest quote I found for body repair. | ||
| johnny Citizen Username: Johnny Post Number: 1199 Registered: 5-2001 |
Once rear ended a car on the Hutchinson River Parkway when I was much younger. By some miracle, no damage to either car and no injuries. | ||
| Nohero Citizen Username: Nohero Post Number: 4371 Registered: 10-1999  |
Ducks. We were traveling north on a Friday afternoon, around 6:00. Just before the Bergen tolls, there were ducks crossing the road. People were slowing down and swerving, and our vehicle was slowing down when it was rear-ended. | ||
| nan Citizen Username: Nan Post Number: 1858 Registered: 2-2001 |
I also used to commute on the GSP and once when driving home had some weirdo creepy guy rear end me. I was just driving along normally and suddenly felt this big slam. I still don't know how it happened but the guy thought it was just a normal every day event. He was like, "This is your FIRST accident? Are you kidding me?" I hated driving on that road. Everyday there was a huge bottleneck by the Essex tolls and usually it was just everyone slowing down to view a pulled over car. You'd think people would rather get home than hang out and look at a car. I did discover that the "Exit Only" lane on the extreme left after the toll both is actually a real lane and saved some time getting though the crowd. | ||
| gretchen Citizen Username: Gretchen Post Number: 158 Registered: 8-2001 |
Am I the only one who is going to fess up to an accident that was my fault? I totalled my car a year ago on the GSP. We were on the way to my sister's (to babysit for her kids overnight while they went on romantic overnight) and the road was packed. It was just that situation where everyone's driving 70, then suddenly slams on their brakes. I just didn't stop soon enough and rear-ended the woman in front of me. She was 8 months pregnant and driving a huge SUV. There was literally no damage to her car and my 1997 Jetta was declared a total loss. She was incredibly gracious about the whole thing. The worst was waiting for the police to come with cars zooming by, swerving away from my car while my kids were in it. The officer drove my girls and I to the police barracks to wait for someone to get us (my poor sister, who never got her overnight). The scene with me strapping the girls' car seats into the back of his car and him transferring all of their stuffed animals, etc. in the back of his car was a little funny. Then I'm in the front and my older daughter's yelling "Hey mom, why is there glass in between the seats"... Now I take maintaining the distance between me and the car in front of me much more seriously. The funny thing is, it's practically impossible on that road because whenever there's an opening between you and the car in front of you someone else will leap into it! | ||
| mem Citizen Username: Mem Post Number: 4691 Registered: 5-2001 |
That road is horrific. I think it brings out the worst in bad drivers: there's the crazed lane changers who think they're in the Indy 500, there's the narcoleptics in denial, the rubber neckers, the shoppaholics barreling their way to the malls, the speeders who get pulled over to satisfy the rubber neckers, etc. I loathe it. I have had so many near misses with the stop short thing, and then the lane changers jump in front of me like's it's life or death and barely miss my bumper (Maybe they're playing chicken?). It's very stressful. | ||
| Cathy Supporter Username: Clkelley Post Number: 713 Registered: 6-2002 |
mem, you must pass the 46 / 3 exit coming south at night - there's always a backup. The backup goes past the start of the ramp and onto the breakdown lane. Well a week or two ago some clown in front of me decided to "cut the line" and stopped dead in the middle of the slow lane. I had to brake HARD to avoid hitting him, as I couldn't merge into the middle lane. (and of course, to the right of me was a line of stopped cars.) I knew I wouldn't hit him - I had sufficient clearance in front of me - but I could almost hear the "bang" coming in back of me. Fortunately, I lucked out this time but my heart didn't stop hammering for the rest of the drive home. I usually don't drive in the slow lane, and don't remember why I was there that night - probably to get around some idiot going 40 in the middle lane. I hate the GSP too, and if there was another route I'd take it. | ||
| Sgt. Pepper Citizen Username: Jjkatz Post Number: 713 Registered: 12-2003  |
For me the biggest problem with the GSP is how narrow the lanes are. I find it a bit unnerving to try to pass someone in the very next lane. I try to leave more room between myself and other cars than I would on the Turnpike. I've never had an accident on it though. I probably shouldn't have said that. | ||
| mem Citizen Username: Mem Post Number: 4692 Registered: 5-2001 |
Cathy, There is no other route for me either - I take the last exit (172). Some of the exits I pass which are usually backed up: Route 280 Route 46 Route 3 Route 4 Route 80 Route 17 Three tolls I guess when they built it they didn't plan on this enormous volume. | ||
| Dave -agent of MOL Moderator Username: Dave Post Number: 5410 Registered: 4-1998  |
You can pick up rt. 21 south near the 80 junction (actual signs say rt 20 for some reason) and miss most of the Parkway traffic areas. The challenge then is to get through Newark where it becomes McCarter and onto 78 west. | ||
| mem Citizen Username: Mem Post Number: 4694 Registered: 5-2001 |
Dave, Where can I pick up Route 21 North please? | ||
| Dave -agent of MOL Moderator Username: Dave Post Number: 5412 Registered: 4-1998 |
I believe it's Exit 157 Sign says "Garfield 46/20". I followed some twists and turns aiming for 46w then noticed a sign for 21. In less than a minute I was on it flying south with literally no traffic and no tolls. | ||
| mem Citizen Username: Mem Post Number: 4695 Registered: 5-2001 |
Can I pick it up from down here to go north? | ||
| Dave -agent of MOL Moderator Username: Dave Post Number: 5413 Registered: 4-1998 |
Theoretically, sure, but I think it's more of a hassle getting on 21 north. For example, I can to take 280e to Harrison, then drive back over bridge into Newark to pick up McCarter/21. During off-hours it's easy. At rush hour it can be a nightmare. Test it out, I guess. | ||
| mem Citizen Username: Mem Post Number: 4696 Registered: 5-2001 |
Thanks Dave. I will take it south and see where I end up, and then see if I can access this to go north. | ||
| sarinka Citizen Username: Sarinka Post Number: 30 Registered: 12-2001 |
I was on GSP and there was a very old truck in front of me. I saw that the left hand back wheel was a bit wobbly, so I accelerated to get past. Next thing the wheel came off and went rolling at top speed across all the lanes of GSP. Truck pulled to side, but wheel was still going...I drove on, as my nerves were wrecked. I am sure there must have been an accident from that |
