"One Dead in Silver Spring Crash" (#282, Topic N)

A heading (used as today's title) in the Metro section of today's Washington Post caught my attention. It appears that a female passenger and a male driver, in a Japanese-make SUV, "lost control, struck the curb and then smashed into a pole supporting power lines. The impact knocked the pole down ... [and the female passenger] was pronounced dead at the scene." This reminds me of a similar incident some 15 years ago, in China, when I was the passenger sitting next to a female driver. In early 1990s, I was teaching a course on how to prepare financial reports for the World Bank, in Suzhou. After the 2-week course was over, I was to leave for Shanghai. The sponsor was responsible for securing a train ticket for me. At that time, the currency used in China was two-pronged: renminbi (RMB) and foreign-exchange certificates (FEC) -- though the exchange ratio between the two was 1:1, non-residents must use the latter. When my sponsor, the Audit Bureau of PRC, attempted to buy a train ticket for me, it did not have FEC -- since I was a non-resident, FEC must be used for items/services I bought myself or bought by others for my benefit; there were no exceptions. (China has a 5-branch system: in addition to the executive, legislative, and judical (as in USA), it has examination and auditing -- so the Audit Bureau is on a par with the executive branch; the Ministry of Railways, being a subordinate agency in the latter, ranks below the Audit Bureau.) So, my sponsor used an official car to take me to Shanghai -- the driver was a young lady in her 20s. This being late in the afternoon (a one-way trip from Suzhou to Shanghai took about 1 hour and half), the sponsor also asked a student in the class to keep her company for the return trip. This student was smart; before we boarded the car, he said: "Let me sit at the back" as if he was doing me a favor. I did not object; after all, I was a guest, the trip was short, the road was well travelled and in good shape, I was imposing on her (being after hours), and I did not want to leave the impression that I was treating her merely as a driver. So, I sat at the passenger seat in front. The car, Red Flag, a domestic brand, was quiet and smooth, and the driver was quite skilled. Indeed, the drive began smoothly. But, along the way, the driver's handbag fell on the car's floor; she did not want to stop the car to fetch it, nor did she want to leave her handbag on the floor. So, she drove using her right hand, while stooping down to fetch the handbag with her left hand. Her attention was diverted, andhe car began to zig-zag; suddenly, a utility pole was standing directly in front of our car. She pressed the brake just in time, so a direct hit with the pole was averted. I said nothing; indeed, the remainder of this drive was done in silence, until I was safely delivered to my hotel in Shanghai. Over these years, I often wonder what would happen if she did not press the brake in time -- I could speculate, but I was/am not sure. Thus, over these years, I kept this to myself, mentioning to no one. Today's story somehow confirms what I have long speculated. Well, it was/is over -- else I would be writing this entry. What a narrow escape!