r/CarAccidentSurvivors

2 years ago I was in a pretty traumatic car accident. The other driver ran a stop sign and I t-boned them, we were both going 55mph. I ended up with a broken ankle and wrist, spent 2.5 months in a wheelchair and another month on crutches and in PT. Lost my job during this time. It was the worst period of time of my life. Learning to drive again after that was so difficult. Even now after 2 years I still get anxious going through intersections.

Yesterday I was in another car accident. I was on the interstate when the vehicles in front of me stopped quickly, the person behind me was not able to stop quickly enough and rear ended me. My 5 month old was in the car with me. Thankfully we are both okay physically, but I’m having a hard time mentally. It brought me right back to the worst time of my life after my first accident. I feel depressed and anxious.

I’m going to seek help from a mental health professional. I’m honestly not even sure why I’m posting in here. I guess just needed to get the feelings out somehow.

This shit sucks. I feel like I’m starting back over in my car accident trauma. I’m not sure how I’ll ever feel comfortable driving again. I can’t trust other drivers on the road.

24M. I’ve been in 3 car crashes in my life, all as a kid but have left an impact physically and mentally (my neck is super messed up from one still). I’m learning to drive right now and it’s been really difficult. My dreams are about it, and it’s all that I can think of on the road

My main issue isn’t worrying about myself driving poorly, but rather worrying that other drivers are going to crash into me. So far I’ve had two incidents where someone has ran a red light at a junction and a moped driver has driven out in front of me from a T junction. Neither time was my fault (confirmed by my instructor who’s incredibly critical when he gets the chance).

Any tips for overcoming this? I was considering counselling but I’m not really in a position to afford it currently. Anything would be appreciated! :)

Yesterday, I was involved in a traffic accident, although I want to make it clear from the beginning that the authorities and several witnesses determined that I was not at fault. I was simply in the wrong place at the wrong time.

I haven’t been driving for very long, so the whole situation was extremely overwhelming.

There was heavy traffic. I was driving on one side of the road while another car was coming from the left. In the middle of everything, a motorcycle with two young men appeared. From what I was able to understand, they were having some kind of conflict with the other driver, and they even kicked the car while it was moving.

Both of them ended up falling off the motorcycle, and the other car became involved in the accident. The driver then fled the scene.

I still have some parts of what happened that are very blurry. Everything happened incredibly fast. I remember feeling some kind of impact or bump and pulling over. Then I saw one of the young men on the ground, and for a few moments, he didn't get up.

That was the part that affected me the most.

I thought the worst had happened.

Thankfully, he eventually got up, and the ambulances and authorities arrived.

The first thing I did was call my parents. I was extremely shaken, and I was with my cousin, who stayed with me and tried to help me calm down.

The authorities asked me if I was okay and if I wanted an ambulance to check me. I said no because physically I felt fine, although emotionally I was obviously very shaken.

Later, my dad arrived, and I explained everything to him. There were also several witnesses who were able to give their accounts of what they had seen.

One of the people involved even came over to me and apologized. He told me that it had been his fault and that I had nothing to do with what happened. Some of the relatives who arrived also told me not to worry.

Eventually, the authorities determined that I wasn't responsible and allowed me to leave. I think they also realized how badly shaken I was and probably wanted me away from the scene so I could calm down.

My dad stayed there for a while longer, while my cousin's husband took both of us home.

And now I'm struggling with what happened afterward.

Yesterday I was too overwhelmed to really process anything. Today I'm a little calmer, and now my mind keeps going back to one question:

What happened to them?

I don't know how the young man I saw on the ground is doing.

I don't know if he's okay.

I don't know how serious his injuries were.

I don't know what happened after I left.

I also don't know what ultimately happened to the driver who fled, although I was told that the authorities were able to locate him.

And that uncertainty is really bothering me.

I know it wasn't my fault. I really do. The authorities told me, there were witnesses, and even the people involved told me that I had nothing to do with it.

But knowing that it wasn't my fault doesn't make me stop worrying about them.

I feel strange because part of me is relieved that I'm okay and that I wasn't responsible, but another part of me keeps thinking about those people and wondering what happened to them.

I also keep remembering parts of what I saw and trying to reconstruct certain moments because everything happened so quickly.

I'm not entirely sure what I'm looking for by posting this. I think I just need to get it off my chest and maybe hear from people who have experienced something similar.

Have you ever witnessed a serious accident or been involved in one without being responsible for it? How did you deal with the emotions afterward?

Especially, how did you deal with the feeling of not knowing what happened to the people involved?

Because right now, I think that's what is weighing on me the most: not knowing whether they're okay.