The Empty Highway


He had just filled his tank, grabbed a hot coffee and some seeds to chew on.

"I'm so stupid,"he mumbled to himself. He pulled his car out of the station and headed for I-80 and San Francisco. He yawned and looked at his watch...3 A.M.  He swore at him self again and thought about the drive and then took his first sip of the coffee.

It burned his mouth and he swore again. He merged onto an empty I-80 and pushed the speedometer up to ninety, yawned and wiped his eyes with the back of his hand. His eye began to burn and he tried to rub it with the sleeve of his shirts.

His car drifted out of the lane but the speed bumps alerted him and he corrected with no problem. He reached across the car to the glove box and felt until he found an old clean-ex he had shoved in there sometime in the past.  The car swerved a little but it didn't matter because the freeway was empty. He wiped his eye and it quit burning.

The speedometer had edged up to ninety-five. He sipped the coffee. It had cooled off enough to take a full gulp. The highway was beginning it's upward climb into the pass. He opened the seeds, yawned and put a small fist full into his mouth and began working them with his teeth and his tongue.

The highway curved as it wound its way through the pass. He was glad as it helped him stay awake. It was the long straight stretches where his head nodded and he had to shake it to keep his eyes open. He swallowed the last of his coffee and wished he had bought two cups. He fisted another mouthful of seeds and decided the first gas station that was open he would stop for more coffee.

He had to drive straight through. He was supposed to be at work at eight. He swore at himself again for stopping in Reno. He slammed the dash with his closed hand. He has lost his rent money and a lot more in Reno. The speedometer was bouncing around 100.

The highway had left the pass and was on a long straight run towards Sacramento. There was some traffic but not enough to slow him down. He had all the windows open so the cold air would help him stay awake. He stretched his arms against the steering wheel, arched his back and yawned.

The girl came from nowhere. She was just there...in the middle of the highway. He swerved and lost control. The car flipped. His last thought was how stupid he had been.

A witness that he had just passed told the trooper that the car had just swerved as if it was trying to miss something but there was nothing there. The highway had been completely empty.

"My guess is highway hypnosis," the trooper said.

/    /    /    /    /

Note - Relaxation of the mind occurs when driving for long distances at highway speeds. Your mind plays tricks on your body and makes you believe that you are almost stationary. Your surroundings appear to slow down and you experience a decrease in concentration. This hypnotic state leaves you vulnerable to any potentially dangerous changes in your environment (e.g., animal runs across road or vehicle swerves in your direction).
Highway hypnosis most often occurs:
  • When drivers are fatigued or under extreme stress
  • When driving long distances during normal sleep times (e.g., early morning hours)

This story is based upon the death of a friend of mine. He was driving from Denver to San Francisco when his car flipped just outside of Sacramento. His death was contributed to Highway hypnosis. He had just borrowed one thousand dollars form his parents.

It was assumed he lost most of it in Reno as they found less than fifty dollars on him..


gs batty for Two Shoes Tuesday




16 comments:

  1. This is so tragic, so well-written, and so sobering as this could easily happen to anyone. I am so sorry about your friend, I felt this one, a punch in the gut

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. thanks..I probably should date it as it happened more than 20 years ago so the hurt has long since found a place deep in my heart but the fond memories will always continue...

      Delete
  2. This is a good story to share - to be a warning to others.

    Very well written, as always.

    Happy Two Shoes Tuesday to us! ;o)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Yes, it still applies...the freeways are straighter...the cars get better gas mileage...why stop...gotta get there...but a pit stop, a break from the car and you have a very good chance of getting there...alive.
      thanks for the comment.

      Delete
  3. Wow this was a real eye opener. It sounds by your first response that this happened many years ago, but none the less still a loss... I have had that experience in the desert and on long (too long) highways where things seem to stand still...then there is this little panic in your chest and if you're lucky it switches back....Sorry it wasn't so for your friend. Z~

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Zoe../ you know the feeling and luckily the result.
      thanks for the comment

      Delete
  4. You did a great job of setting up this story, GS, I was feeling his exhaustion and his emotional upset. Any of us who have driven for long stretches, especially at night, know how easy it is to become inattentive and then overcorrect if something alerts us. So many deaths have been caused. Rules... never drive when you are upset, and never drive when you are tired. Your friend's story ended in a far greater tragedy than having to admit he had gambled away the money that his parents. This was excellent writing, I wish it didn't have to end that way, but it was a good reality check for all of us!

    Thank you for another great contribution to TST!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks Josie...you always leave such great comments...you remind of my one and only writing teacher....always positive and complimentary.

      Delete
  5. Sorry that this story is based on fact...but it is so well written!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. thanks Patricia...I could not have written this story except it is far enough in the past that I only remember the fun he was...I believe he would want it written and would chastise me for not writing it sooner...the problem...I am just learning to write and feel that I can now write something that has some meaning.

      Delete
  6. This has much meaning. My husband, Bill, is a long haul, over the road trucker. He is gone 2-6 weeks at a time. Yes, this is a real problem. Bill is very careful with rules, logs, and sleep/breaks. He sees too many people make mistakes & takes chances. It isn't worth it.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. thanks for the visit and the comment...bless your husband...truck drivers are the backbone of America...

      Delete
  7. I'm very sorry to hear about your friend. My dad was having some sleep hypnosis about a week ago when he was trying to drive my sister from D.C. to Houston. He drove the whole way, 24 hours, from D.C. to Houston. He said he started to see things just a few hours before he got to Houston. I hate sleep driving, it's worst than running out of gas.
    : )

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. thanks for the visit Joseph...Highway hypnosis can be very deadly. I understand that it is not uncommon to see animals or people and swerve to avoid them.

      Delete
  8. I was gripped by that story and thought it had a sad end and then I found out it was true....ouch. I'm sorry that your friend had such a bad thing happen to him. I would like to say it was a good story but perhaps I should say it was a well written story instead

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. thanks Jess...it did hurt...but I think it is important for drivers to know that this condition can happen to anyone.
      Thanks for the compliment.

      Delete