One second we are driving home from a great weekend at Ponca (one of our absolute favorite places on the entire planet), listening to the radio and laughing, and the next second we are swerving to miss a car headed straight at us. Not too many seconds after that, we are praising Jesus that we are still alive and in the same breath praying for the people who were in the car next to us and did get hit, hard and fast.
When the news reporters interview the people involved in a crash, the people always seem to say that everything happened so quickly. Now I understand exactly what they mean. All the details of the crash are jumbled in my head and it's hard to make sense of what happened, and how, and when. Lawrence and I have tried to replay the entire ordeal in our heads to get a solid grasp of what took place, but we still can't agree on every detail. It all just happened so fast!
We had just turned on the radio to a new station Lawrence had discovered earlier this week. It's a comedy station that has snidbits of various comedy acts. We were listening to a guy make jokes about a burrito disagreeing with you and all that entails. Then I looked over and saw this car crossing over from 435 South and coming towards us. I pointed and told Lawrence that a car was headed right at us; he was able to change lanes and the car zoomed past us. The SUV we had just passed wasn't able to get out of the way though and the car hit the SUV almost head-on. I heard the impact and saw pieces of the car flying. I saw the car spinning behind us. I didn't see the SUV turn on its side and slide down the interstate, but I know that happened because when all was said and down the SUV was very close to the ditch and laying sideways.
I have no idea how the car was able to get over the metal wiring that is in the median between 435 South and 435 North.
I have no idea how the car missed hitting us. I know it must have just been inches away from doing so though.
I have no idea how no one was killed or critically injured. Both cars must have been going around 50 mph when they collided. Pieces of metal were flying in the air. Other cars were coming from behind us. I guess they were able to stop or get over in time and avoid getting hit by either of the vehicles or any of the car parts flying around.
For the first time in my life I called 911. And I got a voicemail! I have no idea how all the 911 operators could be busy taking calls. There can't seriously be that many emergencies all at once, can there?! And it had only been a few seconds since the crash happened, so not that many people could be calling in about the accident already, could they?! I waited a bit and called again, but they had already received the report and help was on the way. In fact, just a minute later, I heard the sirens and saw the firetruck making its way through the standstill traffic on 435 South. Just minutes later more sirens were flashing as another firetruck and an ambulance came from behind us on 435 North.
By the time the medical teams had arrived, Lawrence and some other people who stopped had been able to get the doors open and the 2 people out of the SUV. It took some pulling and prying, as I saw the car "bouncing" from where I sat waiting with Coralyn in the safety of our frontseat. I'm not sure if they got the people out of the other car, but I did see people trying to move it and "shake" it. I didn't have the best view, but I was okay with that.
Coralyn had been asleep and didn't wake up until we came to a stop on the side of the road. As Lawrence ran to the crash, I pulled her out of the carseat and gave her the biggest hug ever. We sat together and watched as the firetrucks and ambulances came. I explained how they were going to help the people in the accident. She was more interested in the volleyball that was in the backseat, and then the apple she saw in the frontseat. She was doing great in her small little confined area, until she told me she needed to go potty. This is where we had some comic relief in the midst of such a scary experience. I wasn't sure what to do, but ended up helping her "pop a squat" in the safety of the ditch. I'm not sure if people passing by saw me awkwardly holding my child who was naked from the waist down. I didn't really care what they thought about me or my mothering skills at that point. Coralyn successfully went potty on the side of the road, and thankfully I had an extra diaper in my purse (since I wasn't going to get the diaper bag out of the trunk). After I finished getting Coralyn redressed, Lawrence soon came back to the car since the police and medical teams had everything under control. We breathed another prayer of thanks and put Coralyn back in her carseat, then started towards home once again.
As soon as we pulled into the driveway, we thanked God again for safely returning us home (so often we take for granted that we will have a safe trip!). Coralyn got out of the car and immediately went for her bike in the garage. Instead of unloading all our luggage and going to get groceries like we had planned, we went for a bike ride/walk. At that point and time, being together as a family was much more important than getting milk.
It's funny how little things become so much more meaningful after life flashes before your eyes. When I think about all the terrible things that could have happened, I am just overwhelmed with gratitude and filled with awe at God's protection. We could have spent last night in the hospital. Instead we ate Papa Murphy's pizza and watched the Amazing Race in the comfort of our living room. We watched Coralyn climb into her toy chest and empty everything out. We gave her a bath and tickled her, enjoying her cute little giggles all the more. We went in her bedroom and sat in the rocking chair and read bedtime stories. We woke up this morning and ate breakfast. Lawrence taught Coralyn how to spit in the sink after brushing her teeth. Yes, the little things are so much more meaningful today.
Praising God for your lives too!!!! And that no one was seriously hurt or killed!! We serve someone so mighty!
ReplyDeletePraise God!!!