"..my career, as you call it, has just careered out of control." - Ian Rankin

to career can mean to go at top speed in a headlong manner; you can say drove at full career, or a career diplomat. all of this supposedly stems from L. carraria, a road for vehicles.

then there is careen, to heel over (a boat) from L. carina, hull; this is also used to mean much the same as career: he careened down the mountain road.

I wonder how much of the confusion here is due to conflation?