Yes, a few times:

#1

Was visiting some friends in south San Tan Valley on a weekend night. Just me, my wife, and my #4 of 5, who was maybe 5 years old at the time.

We were headed back to Mesa on a split divided road, the one that had a big dirt center divide.

No cars on the road.

Driving along at 50 MPH in the #1 lane.

In the distance I see a dim light. What is that? A motorcycle in the distance.

Less than a second later I swerved to the right to avoid a head on collision.

There, barreling down the road over 90 mph on the wrong side of the divide was a runner with no lights on, trying to evade a 5 agency pursuit that had started 25 miles to the west. Immediately behind him was a DPS officer, also with no lights on.

We should have been dead.

The reason I know the speed was because the first opportunity to do a U turn, I did so to go in the same direction they were headed. As they approached the intersection further down the road, and 20 police cars turned on their lights to show multiple paths were blocked, forcing him into a right turn at the light. A pit maneuver crashed him into the church parking lot. I waited at the entrance of the lot for the police to take him into custody so I could file a statement.

I often reflect at the whisper I heard that said RIGHT! NOW! which saved our lives.

—

#2

Out in the middle of farmland America on a road trip with my family of 7.

Missed my exit. Pulled off the highway. Looked at maps and got reoriented.

Went to do a U-Turn from the side of the highways

Checked for traffic. Just a big rig way down the road.

Pulled out, did my U-Turn and the truck whipped around and back to avoid us, and almost tipped over.

He was easily going 85 in a 35.

I failed to gauge his speed as he was so far away when I looked.

—/

#3

As a teenager, sitting in traffic at the left light.

Light turns green.

I saw it turn green.

My brother tells me to go.

I turn to look at him.

I look back.

And before I could proceed, a car ran the red light exactly where we had been if I had proceeded on time.

I now ALWAYS look at traffic in all directions when entering an intersection.


-/

Another one, but too sacred to share here.