Monday 17 September 2007

Car Crash Corner....

The day was sunny. Filtered beams of light penetrated the canopy illuminating the verdant undergrowth. Happy bird song drowned the hum of the nearby road. A tranquil scene... but something wasn't right...
70 is the speed limit, but 80 is the norm. It is dual carriageway, the opposing traffic is separated by a safety barrier and a cushion of greenery. You've been this way a hundred times before, the loud pedal sinks further to the floor as that satisfying sideways g- force builds up as you pull through the bend. A smile on your face as sail merrily on your way. Driving is fun.

The path through the woods crunches underfoot. Dry leaves , twigs, CDs, glass, a makeup bag, spectacles....no this isn't your normal undergrowth.


Worrying clues point as evidence as to the true nature of this stretch of woods.



The whole area is peppered with discarded paramedics gloves.




Trees are laid flat, their bases shattered and splintered. They all point the same way; in the direction of the traffic.





Then you start to notice, here, there, dotted everywhere, some new, some faded, bouquets tied to scarred trees, each marking their own tragedy.






Cherished toys, once soft and fluffy, lay alone, no one to love them anymore.







You got to ask, how fast do you have to go for your car to break up and your treasured CD collection to embed itself ninja style in solid wood.








I like to drive fast, sometimes I drive too fast. A trip to 'car crash corner' probably won't stop me pushing it a bit, but the consequences of getting it wrong will be in the forefront of my mind....I might relax my foot, enjoy the scenery, I'm not in that much of a rush, after all I wouldn't want to revisit 'car crash corner' before my time....









9 comments:

photowannabe said...

Please Slow Down.....you don't need to be one of those bouquets fading against the tree trunk!!!
Great photojournalism Barky.

Lavender said...

Interesting spot to visit from this perpective, we rush by many spots like these each day and from the car you only see the bouquets left behind - maybe weve all gotten so used to seeing these spots, that we dont think enough about whats really happened. Very interesting post Barkfoot - and although I shudder to think about the circumstances of how it got there, I have to say I find the CD imbedded in the tree to be incredibly interesting - great observation on your part Mate.

Angela Marie said...

Wow... this really makes you think Barky. I would hate to end up like that. I also wonder about the people that were in that wreck. So sad what is left behind.

Thank you...

great photos. speaks volumes.

Hey! Guess who is back in the U.S.?!!
My son! You have been so kind to me where my children (and some ~ thankyou) are concerned. I wanted you to know!
:)

Sharon said...

That's sort of eery.

Like Lavender I've passed many left behind bouquets. It does make you wonder though if anything can be done to prevent areas where frequent crashes happen... like Crash Corner.

LesleyinNM said...

That is amazing, especially the embedded CDs! Kind of makes you wonder what the world would look like if most crash sites were not cleaned up.

Joe Jubinville said...

Sad, those little remnants of lives lost, families shattered.

There was a similar treacherous and legendary curve in the road near out summer cottage - The Devil's Elbow it was called, and was flanked on either side by a marsh, said to have swallowed cars, families, pets, lovers, all without a trace. Haunted, of course.

"M2" said...

ditto
slow down
keep chatting with me, I'll make you a neurotic super safe double checker eventually

Gerald (SK14) said...

A very sombre set of pictures and very good parody of the traditional nature trail.

Madwag said...

Wow.... that is scary. We had a couple of corners like that back home in the mountains. The winters were the worst.... so many deaths. The CD in the tree .... whoa!!!!!!!!