Sliding Across Lanes

• DESCRIPTION: It was winter in Nebraska. The streets were covered with slush and ice so slippery that I noticed several fallen mountain goats unable to get up a ways off the road. I was on 114^th and Dodge Street in Omaha's morning rush hour traffic. At the time I thought I knew a great deal about handling Crown Vics on snow. I was about to go up a hill from a stoplight at one of the busiest intersections in Omaha, so I dropped the car down into second gear lockout, exactly what I should not have done. As I proceeded up the hill, the car's rear end kept sliding out for some reason. Eventually, in my efforts to build up even a little speed (the cars behind me were mad; I am sure of it), the car's rear got away from me, and in trying to correct it, I ended up sliding diagonally left across three lanes of traffic, miraculously nudging only one other car in the process. My brief control-free flight was ended as my car came to an instant stop at a concrete barrier. It sure felt like it hit hard. I was facing about 120 degrees left of my original direction. Fortunately it was a divided highway. I got out, but I couldn't see anything wrong, and anyway, I was late for school. I exchanged insurance info with the other guy, then we both drove on and forgot about it.

• DAMAGE TO OTHER CARS: None

• DAMAGE TO CROWN VIC: None