Unexpected terror & confusion as the author and his bride returned from their honeymoon up in the San Juans

William & Faithlyn goofing around at Roche Harbor on the day before the near-miss on the freeways home. Definitely did NOT look this jolly after such a close call. Grateful, tho, for all’s well with life, limb, and property.

Selfie of us earlier the day of the near-miss. We’re in San Juan National Historical Park at the British camp.

Our car earlier Thursday in San Juan National Historical Park.

Another ferry passing ours on our way home Thursday afternoon from Friday Harbor, San Juan Island, to Anacortes on Fidalgo Island (connected by a bridge to the mainland). We had no inkling whatsoever over what was yet to come.

Called 911 yesterday for first time ever. Faithlyn, my new wife, and I were heading home to Shoreline from our little honeymoon to San Juan Island near the border with Canada. I drove. Our car was a white, 2020 Subaru Forester, Touring Model, in great shape. We were southbound on I-5 outside of Lynnwood when I realized I entered the entrance lanes to I-405. Traffic was moderately heavy, typical for summer evening traffic in our urban corridor. We were passing thru lower Snohomish County heading for King County where our home is. The day and date was Thursday 3 August 2023.

Looked both behind us & to my left, open lane, & so merged left. Our Subaru has flashing yellow lights to warn of vehicles in our blind spots or passing, but they did not go off, i.e. the lane was clear. Local time was about 6:50 PM PDT. Suddenly a large white sedan rocketed around me at high rate of speed as in pursuit. I immediately thought police car, unmarked, but did not hear sirens or see flashing lights.

The “cop” sedan swerved between cars and cut in front of us – its brakes squealing as its tires sent up black smoke of burning rubber. The car slid and spun in front of us as the driver fought for control. They lost control. The car spun around backwards into traffic to face oncoming cars and trucks. I continued to drive forward even tho slowed way down. For a nanosecond of eternity the careening sedan spun right alongside our Subaru as I drove ahead. I saw the white car and its bumper inches away from us thru violent smoke. The car slid in a cloud of burning rubber across 2-3 lanes of traffic. The sedan skidded off the pavement, slammed against the steep rise of a brush-covered bank on the driver’s side, and rolled over uphill as it flipped into small trees and bushes. Other drivers slowed down everywhere and all seemed in control. All of this happened in seconds, in seconds with the heft of hours.

We didn’t see anything else as I slowed down and tried to find a safe place to pull over. Thought at first the driver was a state police officer, but maybe a civvie driving a former or retired model police car? The driver handled the car with a certain expertise before losing control and did acted as if in hot pursuit. Such chases are no longer permitted, however, and we don’t recall any siren sounds or flashing lights. We are hard-of-hearing and would have heard and seen them. Maybe the driver was attempting to escape and get away from whatever? Meanwhile traffic bunched up and made it too dangerous to pull over, but I was inadvertently shooting back down I-405 S as I maneuvered in search of a safe place to pull over.

Found a place to pull over where Faithlyn and I debated on what to do now. My wife was unhappy with where I chose to pull off the freeway and onto a little curbside land pinched between traffic, bushes, and terminated at a guardrail before us. She expressed concern. There wasn’t any way to turn around and go back. My ancient Wilderness-EMT responses were generating guilt and anxiety about not being onsite to assist anyone in need. Instead took a deep breath and dialed 911 at 7:07 PM.

Could barely hear the dispatcher. At first I said a police car rolled up the bank after barreling thru traffic – the dispatcher goes, “A police car?” “Not sure. Looked like one in hot pursuit. I’m OK. Just reporting it. The car rolled uphill!”

“What do you mean by ‘rolled uphill?’” she inquired urgently.

“Um, the car hit the bank, a hill, and rolled uphill.”

Truth is I barely remember the exact phrasing of our conversation as traffic was loud and Faithlyn and I have severe hearing loss in both ears. My words above are an approximation. Best listen to the recording itself, wherever it is. Those dispatchers are overworked and stressed out as things are these days.

Anyway she said something sounding like she already has calls coming in about the wreck and hung up on me. Quickly. Faithlyn and I finally got back to 1-5 & safely home.

Also had to deal with fears rooted in past traumas the accident was somehow my fault because of doing something “wrong” such as moving over into a lane that was clearly available. Would the police officer or other people in traffic report me and my license plate number? Even if they did, I hadn’t done anything wrong. I am not “in trouble.” Even if the speedster was an actual cop, whoever it was drove with reckless abandon at extreme speeds. And so there I go again, briefly trapped in my own psychotherapeutic self-analysis and behavioral justification. Just.stop.now. And did so.

OMG-what-if-that-car-had-smashed-into-us-scenarios with me losing control of our Subaru instead of the other guy raced thru our minds, and truth is we didn’t. We’re fine. We drove safely while the other driver was speeding recklessly at an excessively high rate of speed. And we were so very close to being home.

Ironically, perhaps, back in Friday Harbor earlier in the afternoon when we drove onto the ferry, Faithlyn and I were called, “nice.” The woman in a bright yellow WSF vest directed us where to park up in the holds as she waved me closer and closer and closer to the large SUV parked directly in front of me. I crept forward as wanted the people in front of us to have enough room to get into the back of their vehicle. Our journey across the Salish Sea was about a one and a half hour long sail. The ferry worker waved me even closer. “Subaru drivers are the nicest people,” she said. “Come on up just a little bit more. Stop.” Made me chuckle.

May the other(s) in the crashed sedan be safe, too, and their car clearly totaled. Thing is can’t find any reference to this incident searching online. Couldn’t have been a police officer, however, as there wasn’t any mention in the news. If a cop had been in an MVA it would’ve been all over the local news, right? Yes? What I did find were numerous references to increasing numbers of motor vehicle accidents along the interstates, understaffed police departments, stressed out dispatchers, and increased rates of road rage, illegal drag racing, shootings, thefts, human trafficking, rocks thrown into traffic, and other lawlessness along the freeways.

Anyway, one never knows what will happen when and how. We both felt relief and gratitude for our safety and well-being. Life is messy, however, and living makes a mess. I did make a bad joke earlier on our honeymoon how determined I was for us NOT to be one of those newlywed couples that end up in the news in some horrific tragedy. As Faithlyn’s Dad is a Mennonite pastor, he and his family had prayed for our safety while on our trip. I’m not a religious man, identify as “spiritual not religious,” don’t spend much energy on “hope & hoping,” wondered about the other driver, … and marrying someone with Faith in her name does shift things a certain way. Cuz, damn, that was close.

The wooden box plaque Faithlyn got for our home early on in our partnership. Pray. Trust. Wait. Yes, lessons for an impatient man.

William Dudley Bass
Friday 4 August 2023
Shoreline/Seattle, WA
USA

Copyright © 2023 by William Dudley Bass. All Rights Reserved by the Author & his Descendants until we Humans establish Wise Stewardship over and for our Earth and Solarian Commons. Thank you