Thank you OnStar

[Hawkeye]

EDIT: Oops, obviously wrong forum, if a mod can move this to General Camaro forum, it would be appreciated

So, I was driving home tonight across state on I85 South around 11:00 pm and I come up on a driver in front of me doing around 80 and swerving in the fast lane. The swerving gets worse and worse to the point where the driver is literally swerving from the left shoulder to the right and back again and basically unable to keep it in any lane what-so-ever. His speed was fluctuating anywhere from 63 to 85 (speed limit 70)

I hit the OnStar emergency button, the kind lady picked up and asked what my emergency was. I told her I was tailing an erratic driver, most likely drunk. She connected me to State Patrol, we had a 3 way conversation with GSP, and I told the officer I will remain safely behind the drunk driver but maintain his speed so we didnt loose him if he exited somewhere ahead of me. So if a trooper came up behind a red Camaro doing 85, be sure to get the car in front of it lol

Anyways, OnStar relayed my coordinates to GSP, and I stayed with the driver about a 100 yards back until a trooper showed up out of no where and basically blew my doors off. I was doing 85 and he passed me full tilt, had to be going 110. The trooper fell in behind the drunk driver to observe his driving, and the second the drunks wheel hit the shoulder the trooper lit him up.

I hate that he probably got put under the jail, but I'll sleep easy tonight knowing that the driver didnt kill them self or worse yet someone else, I couldnt live with that on my conscience.

So it was a pretty interesting weekend to say the least. I also got engaged too.. she said yes! (please no jokes about getting a camaro and then getting engaged )

[future2010camaroowner]

Captivating story. I had to read and reread it several times. Congrats on your engagement!

[Camarodriver]

You did EXACTLY the right thing! You may have saved a life, including that idiot drunk. Nice to see GM's OnStar technology at ~very~ good use. A+

eB

[Mindz]

Congrats on the engagement! Kudos for doing the right thing. Now I know when people are driving like maniacs, I can use onstar to report them instead of trying to find the local police number so I don't have to call 911 from my cell phone.

[Deemos]

I have to echo the earlier congrats as well. Good judgment call on getting a potentially lethal drunk off the road. It could have been worse, you could have just passed him up or taken another exit and then read in the paper how this guy plowed through an red light taking half the intersection with him. I do find it funny though to be driving on the freeway and see signs that say to report drunk drivers by dialing 911 in states where you aren't supposed to use a cellphone while driving. Good luck and thanks for your contribution

[Wingsfan]

Good job and congrats.

[2SSRSB]

Originally Posted by Hawkeye

I hate that he probably got put under the jail, but I'll sleep easy tonight knowing that the driver didnt kill them self or worse yet someone else, I couldnt live with that on my conscience.

Don't for a second feel bad. You did the best thing for everyone, especially the driver. Better a few days in jail for DUI versus the rest of their life for murder.

[boutrosboutros]

Interesting story, congratulations!

[Rollin Thunder]

I love onstar, I remember I was on a road trip driving from Va beach to kankakee IL, me and a buddy were just talking, were about an hour outside of kankakee, and if anybody around there knows the area its mostly country roads. Were headed to Bradly and on a dark country road, my buddy looks at me and says "whats that light" I say "probably some farmer burning leaves" he says "at this hour" (it was about 3 a.m.) then we get a bit closer and realize its an uncontrolled fire, So we speed up to about 90 thinking its a crop fire, we get closer and realise its a car fire and there were two people trapped. We pull up, my buddy is EMT and jumps out to help them, Gets them out and we put them in the yukon where they can cool off, Neither one of us from the area have any idea where in the sam hell we are, so I push the red cross and in 2 minuets am connected. She has our location in seconds and knew all the right questions to ask the victims, and with in 5 minuets help arrives. But in 2 minutes the vehicle fire went from the engine, to the passenger compartment, and the Local EMT told us that if we had not showed up and got them out, they probably would either have sever burns, or died due to the extreme heat. What had happened is the guy was driving and a drunk driver (who sadly got away) hit them and they span out of control and the drunk jumped out of his car and ran in to a field.

[Hawkeye]

Thanks everyone! I dont really feel bad, it had to be done. But yeah, OnStar made it very easy. The fact that my location could be relayed real time to the State Patrol, it made it very simple. Total time from making the call to the officer pulling him over... about 10 min. 15 max. And it was on a highway far from any major city at 11pm, so I think the OnStar positioning really helped. Like I said, that patrolman came out of no where.

[wbt]

Right on! Good on you and congrats!

[tangorover]

Congrats. Seen how this guy was driving you probably saved atleast on life: his. Reporting a drunk driver is never a bad thing.

[2002b4c]

You did the right thing. Hit and run in my town this weekend ended 200 feet from my house. Two guys pushing a car at 3am on a side street. One pushing from the drivers door - gets sideswiped and drug 600 feet.

Still alive (so far). They found the car but not the driver.

We have to keep these drunk drivers off the road!

[TeH BawNeY]

Sucks for him but honestly from the way you described his driving you may have saved his life.