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- Mar 2, 2013
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Hi SDN
I know certain secondaries like UCincinnati ask whether you've been found guilty of any moving traffic violations, and if so, to please explain.
When I was 18, I got into my first and only car accident. I was driving straight down a busy road next to a shopping mall, and my sister was in the passenger seat. I was minding my own business doing my thing when all of a sudden a car that was turning left slams into me.
My car spins twice, rocks as if it's about to roll over, and lands crazily tilted on the divider. The other car ricochets off mine, grazes the median ahead of me, and comes to a stop with some damage to its bumper. My sister is screaming "IS THIS THE END? ARE WE GOING TO DIE?" and I am screaming "SHUT UP, [sister's name]!" (yes, I do feel bad that those could have been my last words to her)
I am badly shaken. Figuratively and literally, I am shaking and hyperventilating. Some bystanders who had pulled their cars over rush over and tell me they thought my car was about to roll over into oncoming traffic. This does not help my delayed panic, which is intensifying as the numbness starts to wear off and my brain is beginning to process what happened. Someone had already called the 911, and soon a bunch of cops were there.
Another car pulls over who was driving behind the lady, and it turns out it was her husband who had been following her in a separate car. He goes over to his wife. I don't even speak to or look at them, because I'm furious at her for coming out of nowhere and almost killing my sister and me.
The cops speak to her and speak with each other while a paramedic asks me if I'm hurt and I say no. One of the cops comes over and says, "That lady over there says you ran a red light. Was the light red?" Hysterically and idiotically, I can't remember a thing. I say "I don't remember, I don't think so." He says "I don't care what you think, did you or did you not?" And I say again, "I don't think so." He says "That lady's husband saw you run the red light. Are you or are you not sure?" I'm already freaked the **** out so I admit that I'm not sure, and I get a ticket for running a red light.
I was given a court date (this is in IL if that makes a difference) and I wanted very badly to contest the charge. However, my dad (not a lawyer) told me I had no proof, the lady had a witness, and it would be worse on me if I pled not guilty, made the court go through their motions, and was still found guilty. He said I should just take the fine, so when it came time for my court day, I did.
To this day, I am mad about what happened. The cop took advantage of how freaked out and utterly hysterical I was. He told me he had seen teenagers with "braces wrapped around a light pole" and that I should be more careful. Thanks, dude.
If I were level-headed when he questioned me, I would have sworn up and down that I didn't run the red.
TL;DR Got in an accident and it wasn't my fault. Do I pretend it was my fault anyway on the secondary and act like I learned something for it?
I only ask because I have a very low GPA and I'm already admitting to marijuana use, since I had an honor council hearing my junior year in college. I REALLY don't want to have to admit to anything else, but if I explain what happened, will they just view me as lacking accountability?
I know certain secondaries like UCincinnati ask whether you've been found guilty of any moving traffic violations, and if so, to please explain.
When I was 18, I got into my first and only car accident. I was driving straight down a busy road next to a shopping mall, and my sister was in the passenger seat. I was minding my own business doing my thing when all of a sudden a car that was turning left slams into me.
My car spins twice, rocks as if it's about to roll over, and lands crazily tilted on the divider. The other car ricochets off mine, grazes the median ahead of me, and comes to a stop with some damage to its bumper. My sister is screaming "IS THIS THE END? ARE WE GOING TO DIE?" and I am screaming "SHUT UP, [sister's name]!" (yes, I do feel bad that those could have been my last words to her)
I am badly shaken. Figuratively and literally, I am shaking and hyperventilating. Some bystanders who had pulled their cars over rush over and tell me they thought my car was about to roll over into oncoming traffic. This does not help my delayed panic, which is intensifying as the numbness starts to wear off and my brain is beginning to process what happened. Someone had already called the 911, and soon a bunch of cops were there.
Another car pulls over who was driving behind the lady, and it turns out it was her husband who had been following her in a separate car. He goes over to his wife. I don't even speak to or look at them, because I'm furious at her for coming out of nowhere and almost killing my sister and me.
The cops speak to her and speak with each other while a paramedic asks me if I'm hurt and I say no. One of the cops comes over and says, "That lady over there says you ran a red light. Was the light red?" Hysterically and idiotically, I can't remember a thing. I say "I don't remember, I don't think so." He says "I don't care what you think, did you or did you not?" And I say again, "I don't think so." He says "That lady's husband saw you run the red light. Are you or are you not sure?" I'm already freaked the **** out so I admit that I'm not sure, and I get a ticket for running a red light.
I was given a court date (this is in IL if that makes a difference) and I wanted very badly to contest the charge. However, my dad (not a lawyer) told me I had no proof, the lady had a witness, and it would be worse on me if I pled not guilty, made the court go through their motions, and was still found guilty. He said I should just take the fine, so when it came time for my court day, I did.
To this day, I am mad about what happened. The cop took advantage of how freaked out and utterly hysterical I was. He told me he had seen teenagers with "braces wrapped around a light pole" and that I should be more careful. Thanks, dude.
If I were level-headed when he questioned me, I would have sworn up and down that I didn't run the red.
TL;DR Got in an accident and it wasn't my fault. Do I pretend it was my fault anyway on the secondary and act like I learned something for it?
I only ask because I have a very low GPA and I'm already admitting to marijuana use, since I had an honor council hearing my junior year in college. I REALLY don't want to have to admit to anything else, but if I explain what happened, will they just view me as lacking accountability?
