Bay Bridge- Last Night; Anyone With an Idea?! (Oakland: 2014, home)

[Travlin'grl]

We had a very late and delayed flight from the East Coast into SFO, last night, which finally arrived just after midnight. It must have been close to 1AM by the time we retrieved our car and headed toward Oakland.

The traffic was relatively heavy but not unexpected for a Saturday night. My husband and I both commented on the number of cars that were driving erratically. There were a few we actively avoided. It wasn't until we were east bound on the bridge, itself, when the most stunning thing occurred.

There was a white SUV driving directly in front of us. We'd tried to avoid the car previously but the traffic was heavy and there was no option at this point.
All of a sudden the rear passengers door opened. The traffic was progressing at a good clip, probably 60 mph at this point. A woman's leg slowly made it's way out of the car and the foot came lower and lower as if to touch the highway. It appeared to be an adult or older teen wearing a nightgown. My husband and I were completely terrified and had no idea what to do other than slow down, to the best of our ability, and change lanes as quickly as we could (which took some time).

This was one of those occasions that seemed like an eternity. Papers were flying out of the SUV and the foot wavered up and down ever closer to the pavement. Finally it seemed as if someone grabbed the woman and the car door slammed shut.

Once again we made every effort to distance ourselves. They started heading to the northbound 80 exit when, at the last minute, the car crossed many lanes and came back toward us and 580, heading for 24.
We were only able to breathe again when they appeared to continue on 580 as we did 24.

It was just about then my husband realized that we might have witness an abduction and, in our state of terror, didn't think to take down the license plate number. The minute we arrived home we called highway patrol to let them know what we'd seen in case it could be of use.

So... is this something anyone else has ever witnessed? Something more common than I realize? Ideas anyone? I often feel less than comfortable when I return to the Bay Area from elsewhere but this was beyond anything that's ever happened in my 30 years of living here!

[clongirl]

That sounds terrifying to have witnessed---can't say I've ever seen anything like that. I did see a dead body covered up with a towel laying in the middle of the freeway on the Bay Bridge right after a car accident. I sure hope whatever you witnessed ended up with a positive outcome.

[Natural510]

Might've been a drunken person falling out of a car at that hour, but then could've been something else...

[Tulemutt]

Maybe they were just trying to save on brake pads

[Travlin'grl]

Must have been the brake pads...

It was far too careful for anyone drunk. The door opened deliberately and the leg came out as if someone intended to "step" outside. It was completely crazy.

I'd hoped it might have been something more common that I wasn't aware of; it is the Bay, after all. I guess it was a one off.
No word of any abduction and no one reading City-Data appears to have been driving with us on Saturday night.

Ah well. It will remain a terrifying (Clongirl you hit the nail on the head!) mystery!

[Tulemutt]

I've had the local cobbler shop replace the heels of my shoes with extra hard wearing material for just such occasions. Can't trust Deetroit anymore.

[NoMoreSnowForMe]

Very common. Happens all the time.

[mstnghu2]

Originally Posted by Travlin'grl

We had a very late and delayed flight from the East Coast into SFO, last night, which finally arrived just after midnight. It must have been close to 1AM by the time we retrieved our car and headed toward Oakland.

The traffic was relatively heavy but not unexpected for a Saturday night. My husband and I both commented on the number of cars that were driving erratically. There were a few we actively avoided. It wasn't until we were east bound on the bridge, itself, when the most stunning thing occurred.

There was a white SUV driving directly in front of us. We'd tried to avoid the car previously but the traffic was heavy and there was no option at this point.
All of a sudden the rear passengers door opened. The traffic was progressing at a good clip, probably 60 mph at this point. A woman's leg slowly made it's way out of the car and the foot came lower and lower as if to touch the highway. It appeared to be an adult or older teen wearing a nightgown. My husband and I were completely terrified and had no idea what to do other than slow down, to the best of our ability, and change lanes as quickly as we could (which took some time).

This was one of those occasions that seemed like an eternity. Papers were flying out of the SUV and the foot wavered up and down ever closer to the pavement. Finally it seemed as if someone grabbed the woman and the car door slammed shut.

Once again we made every effort to distance ourselves. They started heading to the northbound 80 exit when, at the last minute, the car crossed many lanes and came back toward us and 580, heading for 24.
We were only able to breathe again when they appeared to continue on 580 as we did 24.

It was just about then my husband realized that we might have witness an abduction and, in our state of terror, didn't think to take down the license plate number. The minute we arrived home we called highway patrol to let them know what we'd seen in case it could be of use.

So... is this something anyone else has ever witnessed? Something more common than I realize? Ideas anyone? I often feel less than comfortable when I return to the Bay Area from elsewhere but this was beyond anything that's ever happened in my 30 years of living here!

So...in the year 2014 you guys didn't have a cell phone on either of you while travelling? You waited until you got home (and maybe used your rotary phone to call "0" to reach an operator to connect you to the CHP) and didn't think to get any important information other than "white suv with no license plate number" ???

I've seen things that have made me call the CHP before while driving (your story certainly would qualify) and I'm instantly barking orders at my wife to call 911 with her cell and I'm telling her every bit of pertinent information to give to the dispatcher. This has been in cases of obvious drunk drivers or just completely reckless drivers who are putting other peoples' lives at risk. This story just seems a bit odd, if it's actually true.

[Travlin'grl]

There have been many times when we've done the same; called CHP while driving. And you're absolutely correct, it would have been the appropriate thing to do.

As it happened the shock of the moment was quite intense, as was deciding how best not to involve ourselves in what would surely be a fatal accident. This wasn't a time to be making phone calls of any sort.

After the fact we should have made the call from the road, what can I say?

If you read my post you'll see we'd just flow in from the East Coast and it was,for all intents and purposes, 4 AM for us. Our flight had been delayed when we connected in Houston and two people had been taken off the flight by police officers (very peacefully and for no apparent reason).
It had been and continued to be an exhausting night.

My husband was concentrating on avoiding accidents as there were the usual, late Saturday night crazies on the road.

Even at that this was incredibly shocking to witness and the usual thoughts of handling an emergency didn't kick in.

[Bisaro TMF]

Night Gown Ghost Riding.