6 # Cue Card (Accident)

Describe an accident you saw

You should say:

  • where the accident occurred

  • where you were then

  • how the accident affected you

and give detailed information about the accident

Vocabulary:

tailgating, poor visibility, reckless driving, road rage, fatality, whiplash, towed, totalled, shaken but unhurt, car crash, collision, knock down, run over

Response 1 (Transcript)

Due to being involved in many car accidents myself, I understand the heart-shaking sensation of feeling as though one's world has literally toppled over.

I have scarcely witnessed an actual car accident happen before my eyes. I did, however, witness one of my mum's car accident's take place through the rearview mirror of the car I was in. It was past midnight as my mum and dad drove in different cars on our way back to our town from a city that was a five-hour drive away from home. They had to take two cars due to the transportation of some business-related items. My mum was opposed to driving late at night, as she knew she had little experience with the endeavour, so we tried to leave the city as early as possible but got held up due to more work, nonetheless.

One of three sisters and I travelled with my father in the larger of the two cars while my third sister and my three-month-old younger brother travelled with my mother. I was ill at ease travelling with my dad, as he had plentiful experience with driving long distances at odd hours due to it being a requirement in a number of his previous occupations. Approximately an hour's drive away from our hometown, I was falling asleep. Unbeknownst to me, chaos was about to ensue after a mundane looking vehicle passed us by. Glancing at the side mirror, all sleep left me as I saw- with a shock- that my mum was driving on the wrong side of the road. She had fallen asleep at the wheel!

The next few seconds were a whirlwind of noise and blinding light as the car that had just driven past my dad rammed straight into the passenger side of my mum's car and basically launched itself as it flipped and rolled to a halt quite a distance away. Meanwhile, my mum's car came to a stop quite a distance away, as well, without flipping, though. I assume it was due to the added weight of the business-related items.

The accident resulted in the death of one of the passengers of the other vehicle and a severe head injury suffered by my younger brother, among other minor injuries on the other people involved. My mum most certainly learned to avoid driving at night even more after that incident. I implore others to practice caution, as well.

Written by Wardah Razzaq.