We could hit head on an driver going on four lane road in wrong direction.

[Redneck in training]

While driving to the "big city" in fast lane on hwy 5 south of Des Moines we saw a disoriented driver in Dodge Ram going in fast lane in wrong direction. Had to swerve to slow lane to miss him. There was a median crossover he could use to get to the other side of the road but he kept going in wrong direction. He could also easily cross the median with his truck but decided not to do so. I I wonder if he was drunk, on drugs or taking a short cut.

 

[soilsailor]

I am not that far from you - currently live and work in Ames. Over last several years at least two people were killed on Hwy 30 in Ames due to people going the wrong way resulting in head on collisions.

I believe one of those was due to an elderly driver who got confused and entered the highway via a off ramp. Just one other category to your list of possibilites.

 

[rd_macgregor]

This must be the one (from a decade or so ago):

The Senior Driver

As a senior citizen was driving down the freeway, his car phone rang.
Answering, he heard his wife's voice urgently warning him, "Herman, I
just heard on the news that there's a car going the wrong way on 280.
Please be careful!"

"****," said Herman, "It's not just one car. It's hundreds of them!"

Its not so funny in real life, though!

 

[skylarkguy]

This happened to me a few years back. Northbound in I5 in southern oregon. A little car was southbound in the left northbound lane. I fortunately saw her and got pulled over to the shoulder quick. When i called 911 dispatch immediatly know where i was because his map was "lighting up" from all the calls.
Not sure of the final result

 

[Thomas]

Couple years ago women wanted to commit suicide and drove the wrong way on the interstate,thank goodness she was stop before completing the mission.

 

[Zerk]

It is hard to know if those bad drivers are drunk, or just old. Maybe both.

 

[dodge man]

Happened to me also several years ago. There wasn't much traffic and I could see the car way off and thought it looked like it was coming my way. I shook my head and said no way but after a few seconds there was no doubt what was happening. I slowed down and held my finger down on the horn as she went by. I'm not sure but I think I saw brake lights as she went over a hill behind me.

 

[GPintheMitten]

In nearby Flint, one of the city council members was caught going the wrong way on the expressway late at night. He was drunk and had marijuana in his car.

He got off easy and is still a councilman and ran for mayor in the last primary but didn't win.

What a jerk.

 

[bcp]

It is hard to know if those bad drivers are drunk, or just old. Maybe both.

Or young.

Bruce

 

[Mace Canute]

I've fortunately only had two personal experiences with wrong way drivers...one was definitely drunk and driving down the wrong way on one of the city's main divided streets and the other one was an old foreman of mine who one day at work came off a side rode and instead of crossing the north bound lanes and then turning south just turned south onto the north bound lane. As luck would have it we were in another vehicle coming into town on the south bound lane and saw him do it...never could figure out why he did because he had driven on that highway for many years.