The One Time I Didn't Take My Camera Something Big Happened

@bagarad (14283)
Paso Robles, California
June 22, 2017 1:52am CST
So tonight was Bible Study night with my small group of ladies from the church. I had to miss last week because of Hubby's fall. I left early, was entering the freeway, when BAM! I was rear-ended HARD. (As you may remember I had surgery on my neck in December 2014.) I remember seeing a blue bucket in the middle of the on-ramp ahead of me as I was being pushed toward the SUV in front of me. I managed to swerve into the shoulder just in time not to hit it (the SUV). I was able to drive the car on the shoulder right under an oak tree, which was a good place since it was hot outside. Then I waited. I figured the police and CHP would be there shortly, so I stayed in the car. A woman from the SUV checked to see if I was hurt. When I said I was OK pretty much, she kept going to the other cars. In a couple of minutes, I got out of the car and looked behind me. There were a lot of police cars, and at least one ambulance. A group was gathered around someone who appeared to be on the ground. I kept my distance. In a few minutes, the EMT came to check me out. I had slightly high blood pressure and a strong pulse. She felt around my neck and had me raise my hands and do some other tests to see if there was any apparent nerve damage. When I said I didn't think I needed an ambulance ride I had to sign a release. then she told me to wait for the CHP. So I waited. It appeared there was little damage to my car. I tried to take photos with my phone, but I don't know how to get them on my computer. It has a camera, but I don't know how to download photos from it. It's a very old dumb phone, a flip model. I thought I had a memory card in it, but I didn't. Finally, the officer came to take my report. He asked some questions I couldn't answer, like "How fast were you going?" I tried to explain that I wasn't looking at the speedometer because things were happening so fast I needed to watch the road, the car in front of me, to keep from hitting it. The officer said I needed to be more specific. He finally had me guess. I hate that kind of questioning because I felt unable to give any honest answer except that I didn't know. He finally finished and gave me a card with information to give my insurance company. Then he let me go. I decided to go on to Bible study, even though I would be late. As it turns out, the leader was also late. She had gotten on the freeway just before the accident but right behind it. It delayed her, but since she wasn't involved she was able to leave as soon as a lane was cleared. It was a four-car pile-up and one person I think was severely injured. He or she did take the ambulance ride. Tomorrow I will call my insurance company and my doctor. As it turned out when I stopped at Trader Joe's on the way home my tailgate wouldn't open, so it appears there is more damage than I thought at first glance. The officer didn't take photos. If I judge by appearances, it would appear that the person who hit my car probably won't have insurance in spite of the law. I'd been planning to take the trip south to Costco tomorrow, but that will be hard if I can't load the back end to carry things home. I am also starting to get a sore neck and a bit of a headache. I applied ice and took some ibuprofen, but I suspect by tomorrow I will be hurting more. I'm beginning to think neither of us should leave the house on Wednesdays since Hubby had his accident last Wednesday and I had mine this Wednesday. But that's just superstition. Wednesday night is Bible study night and I hope to get there on time next week. Have you seen or been in any bad accidents lately? Do you know how to get photos onto a computer from an old dumb phone? Has anyone asked you any questions you couldn't answer recently? I would have put a photo here, but obviously I can't get it off my phone.
9 people like this
9 responses
@minx267 (15527)
• Hartford, Connecticut
22 Jun 17
My older phone had the capability to email the photo and I would get mine off the phone by emailing it to myself. And Wow, sorry you had such a bad day.. Maybe you can still claim the damage to your car and you might want to get checked out just in case. :( And this is why 99.5 % of the time my camera goes with me everywhere.. :)
2 people like this
@bagarad (14283)
• Paso Robles, California
22 Jun 17
I normally take my camera everywhere, too, but I lost the one that fits in my purse. I debated about taking the larger one before I left. I thought to myself, "I'm only going to Bible Study and Trader Joe's -- nothing to photograph there." Never again. I really need to look for the small camera. It disappeared on June 1 when I was cleaning house before our friends came. I remember seeing it and thinking I needed to remember where I put it. I don't, and I haven't been able to spend much time in the house looking since then.
1 person likes this
@minx267 (15527)
• Hartford, Connecticut
22 Jun 17
@bagarad I hope you find it soon!
1 person likes this
@sishy7 (27169)
• Australia
22 Jun 17
I'm sorry for what happened to you. I hope you don't have any further injuries as a result of the accident. Sometimes the effects come in later days after it happened. Anyway, does your phone come with a USB cable? I remember downloading photos from my old dumb phone to my desktop using its USB cable.
1 person likes this
@bagarad (14283)
• Paso Robles, California
22 Jun 17
I tried connecting it by cable to my desktop, but my desktop didn't recognize it as a device and I couldn't figure out what to do next.
1 person likes this
@sishy7 (27169)
• Australia
22 Jun 17
@bagarad oh, so when you go to your 'My Computer' and look at whatever drive the USB cable is connected into, your phone is not in it? Then I really don't know what to do next either if that's the case... Another way is using the bluetooth connection by activating and synchronizing the bluetooth both on the mobile and on the computer...
@Nawsheen (28644)
• Mauritius
22 Jun 17
Sorry to hear about what happened to you. Now coming to your phone. Do you a cable which can be used to connect your phone to your PC?
1 person likes this
@MALUSE (69416)
• Germany
22 Jun 17
Can't you find a young man to help you? Young men know everything about computers. :-)
1 person likes this
@josie_ (9763)
• Philippines
22 Jun 17
Ask someone who is tech savvy or go to a professional to download your photo for you insurance claims. It's good to know you didn't sustain any serious injury but have a check up as a precaution.
1 person likes this
@vsai2008 (11796)
• India
22 Jun 17
I would have be terrified...please take care of yourself :) be safe :)
1 person likes this
@allknowing (130067)
• India
23 Jun 17
As you know I do not read long posts but somehow got caught on this one. Happy that you are ok. And yes do not go for bible classes is what you are being told (lol)
@SIMPLYD (90722)
• Philippines
22 Jun 17
It has a port where you can connect to the computer. And from there you can download it to your computer. That's how I do with my pictures from my phone to my laptop.
1 person likes this
@jstory07 (134291)
• Roseburg, Oregon
22 Jun 17
I hope you are alright now. I hope the other person has car insurance.
1 person likes this