[kierenj]

"The car crashed into the wall" vs "The car quickly sped into the wall"?

Crashed means you don't need to specify it was quick?

[miroljub]

That's one of the examples that could help you spot non-native speakers (me included).

I would regularly say: "I ran home as fast as possible", while a native speaker would just use: "I rushed home".

On the second reading, my first sentence may read: "That's one of the examples that give out non-native speakers".

[zabzonk]

i would say simply "i ran home." if what you want to indicate is running using your legs. "rushed" could mean all sorts of things, but might also be good.

[bookofjoe]

Off topic but perhaps not completely since we're discussing clear written expression: "died in an car accident" is the default rendering of such an event in news reports, yet "died in a car crash" is more accurate. What makes a crash an "accident" by default? I have long believed this is powerful manipulation by the car and oil industries to lesson the impact — as it were — of the word "crash."

[tenebrisalietum]

I think it's more the legal notion of intent that separates manslaughter versus murder. I would venture to say most car crashes that aren't attacks are not intentional, therefore they are accidental. Also if you experience a fatal accident in a car, it's likely enough to be a crash - so I would also venture to say most people understand "car accident" to strongly imply "crash".

[bookofjoe]

Ah, therein lies the rub: implying something softens the unconscious blow. Much science underlies meaning.

[zabzonk]

i agree that "quickly sped" is horrible, but to set up the crash, you need to establish the speed of the car beforehand.

[JohnFen]

I would say that "quickly sped" is bad merely because it's redundant. Nobody "slowly speeds".