Near death experience...

I almost died yesterday.  Well, that may be an exaggeration, but a situation was presented to me that could have led to death.  Staci and I were discussing something (I don't remember what) as we approached a stop light.  I was at the front of the line in the left lane of a two lane intersection at the corner of 146th and 37.  Below is a picture of the scene.

I would have been waiting for the light exactly where the white car is seen above.  Staci recommended we stop at the CVS that is now at the South East corner of the intersection.  That is the corner seen in the upper right quadrant of the above picture.  I looked to my right and saw that lady in the car next to me was texting, so I knew I would beat her off the line, change lanes to the right lane and safely turn into the CVS parking lot.  Everything went as planned and I stepped on the gas.  Something caught my eye, however, just as I was about to enter the intersection coming from the left.  Well after the light had turned red a big utility van came barreling across the traffic.  Had I continued to pull out, even at a modest pace, the van would have no doubt crushed in the driver's side of my car.  I stood on the horn as he blazed by, apparently oblivious to his red light running.

I have no idea how someone could miss a light by the degree required to come through that late.  I guess we are just fortunate and I will continue to check both directions, even when crossing at a stoplight.