We went to Airlie Beach for the weekend for an Outrigger Canoe regatta and on the way home on sunday we were run off the road by a @#%#$@#!! 4WD that was going in the opposite direction to us and decided to overtake a sedan doing the 100km speed limit.
We were travellling north on a single lane each way highway, he was travelling south and pulled out into my lane heading straight for me to overtake the sedan. He didn't have room to get there safely so floored it and kept coming at me so I was forced to pull off the road. Thankfully I was able to wash some of the speed while still on the road and hit the wet grassy embankment (sloping down and away from the road), travelled 34ish metres, hit the concrete expanse connected to the drain pipe that was running under the road, went back onto the marshy grass travelled another 34ish metres before coming to a stop. Very skillfully missing both the concrete covering of the drain on the right that would've flipped us and the few trees on the left. Thankfully Kim (a friend and co-paddler), Quent and I were all able to get out and walk away from the car. The car however was pretty well stuck in the mud and wasn't able to be pulled out with the help of a good samaratan ute that stopped to help, so we, or more accurately Quent, waited for the tow truck from Townsville. We're now waiting on the insurance assessment to decide if my beautiful big blue Brumbie mobile will be written off or repaired. There wasn't any damage done to the panels but the brakes and wheels aren't in a good way - even I could tell that from looking at it and I'm not at all mechanical.
The @#$@#%#$%#@$!! 4WD driver stopped long enough to see us all get out of the car and then he jumped back in his car and took off. He'd stopped too far away from us to get his rego plates and funnily enough I didn't catch it when he was heading for us - I can tell you he had a bloody big silver chrome bull bar!
So, a couple of other paddling friends turned their car around and came back to "rescue" us and return Kim and I safely home. Quent was delivered to the door about 3hrs after I got home by a very friendly tow truck driver who didn't want him to have to call and wait for a taxi at the closed holding yards on the other side of town at 7 o'clock at night.
Our rescuers, Linda and Adrian took a few photos and if they show the scene as I think they will we'll probably put them on the blog site in the next few weeks for all those who need to see it to make my above description make any sense!
So in summing up, we had a very near death experience. Are bloody lucky to be alive and I can't express how grateful we are to be alive!
Since then have been rather reflective and wish I could see each of you now to have a chat and make sure you and yours are alright too!
Take the very best care of yourselves.
Love Jane & Quent xoxo
