So, this one tops tonight's List Of Worst Ways To Die:

The minivan struck [the woman], who became lodged underneath the moving vehicle, officials said. [She]... was dragged for several miles before she fell from the undercarriage, authorities said. She was pronounced dead at the scene.

Here's what happened, according to the AP. This woman's Cadillac was struck by a minivan. The driver of the minivan took off. The woman in the Cadillac chased after the minivan. Stopped in traffic, the woman got out of her car and stood in front of the minivan, which proceeded to run her over, and drag her for several—SEVERAL—miles, and, well, you already know the rest.

So what can we learn from this episode? How can we avert this fate?

Well, first of all. If someone crashes into you and then races off, don't chase after them. Once you catch up with them, they probably won't be in any more of a mood to be reasoned with.

If you do decide to chase after them (and I strongly discourage it) and end up stuck in traffic behind them, use this as an opportunity to take out your cellphone and snap a picture of the vehicle and license plate with it, or if you don't have a camera phone, jot down the license plate number while dialing 9-1-1.

If you left your cellphone in your other Cadillac, and don't have a pen and paper handy to jot down the license plate number, try using a mnemonic device to remember it. There are any number of mnemoic methods. Personally I like the link, or story method.

Say you've got license plate number 63TE16. That's "63 tall Egyptian 16 year-olds"! See how easy that was? 3264HL? "32 64-year-olds' healthy livers." 6285NS? "6,285 non-smokers." I'm not even breaking a sweat here.

So you've chosen, unwisely in my humble opinion, to race after the minivan. And you're too flustered for a mnemonic device (even though they're super easy). I would not recommend jumping out of your car in stalled traffic and confronting the driver.

If you do decide to jump out of your car and confront him or her, do not stand in front of the vehicle, as it's very easy to get run over when you do. Stand off to the side. You still run the risk of getting shot in the face with the gun the driver keeps in his or her glove box, but, who knows, you may have time to duck.

If you insist on standing in front of the minivan, I can't help you. You may have a moment before the driver steps on the gas to contemplate that a minivan weighs two-and-a-half tons, give or take. How much do you?