Bizarre Car Flip

This afternoon I had lunch at Jake's Diner on Colorado Street in Old Town Pasadena. It was a sunny day, with a lot of pedestrians shopping along Colorado. I had just ordered a cheeseburger when there was the sound of a car accident right outside. The waitresses, cooks and patrons turned towards the street just as a black Nissan Sentra was flipping in front of the restaurant. Gasps and disbelief. As the car settled upside down in the middle of the street, people gathered on the sidewalk to stare. The driver of the car was an old, balding man and he was hanging upside down on his head. He must've been wearing his seat because he was still sitting in the driver's seat.

A few people rushed to the side of the car to see if he was okay, but most folks stood on the sidewalk, staring in curiosity and shock or taking pictures with their cell phones and calling 911. The fire trucks and police cars came within a few minutes. I was one of those who had rushed outside.

When my food arrived, I went back to my stool, dipped my fries in mustard, took a bite of my burger and sat there stunned. I listened to the chatter in the restaurant. Everyone was wondering how a car could flip like that on Colorado, where the traffic doesn't move fast. The car looked like it had flipped forward (over the hood), as opposed to rolling over its side, which made it more baffling. I overheard some people saying that the car had hit a pickup truck (or maybe the truck had hit the car). Still, that doesn't make sense. How does a car going less than 35 mph manage to flip? It was a strange meal indeed.

Anyways, I know that's a weird way to end the year. Car accidents happen all the time here. Just turn on the radio and there are regular reports of freeways being jammed up because of collisions, overturned trucks, stalled cars. But to see something for yourself is bizarre...

I hope everyone has a fun and safe New Year's Eve. Stay warm and see you in the new year!