What do I do now?

This morning there was an accident right in front of me on the freeway. It was surreal.

I'm driving in the HOV lane, half asleep, really, trying to wake my mind up with my Greek lesson. Obviously I'm awake enough to drive, but not really to think about anything else, too. Suddenly I hear the terrible sound of two heavy steel objects slamming into one another; micro-seconds later, an old white Monte Carlo swerves into the lane in front of me. I slam on my brakes, stopping about three car lengths behind the white car as it spins to a stop.

I sit for a second, gathering my wits; I've stopped with plenty of space in front of me, but that doesn't prevent someone more sleepy than I from slamming into my rear. I tap the emergency flasher button, hoping to make myself as conspicuous as possible in my tiny, asphalt-colored Prius.

I take stock of the scene; the giant yellow Hummer has spun in a complete circle and come to a stop perpendicular to the dividing line of two of the three regular lanes on the highway. The Monte Carlo has spun all the way around and landed, much the worse for wear, as if it wishes to continue its journey in the HOV lane with me.

I sit for a moment longer, not thinking very quickly at 6:30 in the morning; suddenly the white car door opens and a young man on unsteady legs climbs out and totters toward my car.  I roll down my window as he cries, "Am I bleeding?! Is it bad?!"  He is bleeding, but it's not bad -- a little blood from a superficial head wound likely cause by the shattered glass spraying on his face on impact. "Yes, you're bleeding, but it's not bad. Are you okay?" I ask. In response, he sinks to the pavement next to my car and props himself up against the stone divider separating us from oncoming traffic.

"Sir?"
"My life sucks! Oh my god, my life sucks!"

He must be relatively okay if he is thinking of how much his life sucks. The Hummer, on the other hand, is still ominously quiet.

"Hey. Listen. I'm gonna call 911, okay? I'm not getting out of my car because it's dangerous. You should go back and sit in your car, too; secondary accidents are really common and you will be safer if someone hits you inside your car rather than out here on the pavement. Ok?"

"Ok, yeah. Good idea. Thank you so much. Oh, my god!" He resumes freaking out.

"Listen to me. I don't see any serious injuries, but if you do have any, you need to relax. Understand? You need to slow your heart rate so if you have any injuries you don't pump all your blood to them. Ok? Go sit in your car and take some deep breaths and try to calm down. Understand?"

"Yeah, ok." He totters off towards his car.

I look towards the Hummer; still no movement. Are they badly hurt? Are they just being smart and staying in their steel-framed vehicle on the highway instead of sitting down in the road? Are they...ok, forget that question. I don't know any real first-aid, and I shouldn't risk my own life trying to find out about theirs. Best thing to do? Call 911.

After a short, quick phone call to summon an ambulance, I sit, flashers blinking away, and stare at the Hummer. Do I go check? I look at the traffic; it's moving slowly in streams flowing on either sides of the sideways Hummer. Fairly orderly and respectful, which is not usual for Phoenix rush hour. Still...

An old man in an SUV takes the decision out of my hands as he hops out of his car, shoots me a look I interpret as irritation, and hobbles over to the Hummer. He knocks on the passenger side window, and to my relief, the window comes down. At least one person is alive and aware in the Hummer.

An ADOT truck pulls up behind me while I'm watching the old man gesture at the white car. He startles me when he appears at my window to ask if I'm okay. "I'm fine. I wasn't in the accident, I just stayed to be an emergency signal. Didn't really know what else to do."  "I'll take it from here," he tells me. He walks in front of the lane to my right and stops the crawling trickle of cars to let me pull out. What else is there to do but obey the authority figure in his official orange vest? I leave.

Afterward I realize I should have stayed. I was a witness. Nobody else who saw the collision stayed to help. It will be the white car's word against the Hummer's, and from what I know about the justice system, money talks. The Hummer caused the accident trying to whip into the HOV lane from two lanes away. But a late-model luxury SUV has more clout in court than a 1972 Monte Carlo. I should have stayed.