Graceful and terrifying - (but everyone is OK)
The day started off dreary, and rainy, but it quickly turned to snow and slush. All I wanted to do was bundle up and start a fire, but unfortunately, I had to go food shopping. I decided to make an outing of it and have lunch while we were there.
So I bundled up my little baby girl, grabbed my shopping bags and an umbrella, and trudged out to the car. I dropped the bags and umbrella in the back, and then secured my daughter firmly in her car seat. A kiss (or two) on her forehead, and I closed her door and got into the driver's seat.
I was traveling via highway to my favorite supermarket. The roads seemed fine. Everyone was driving at a reduced speed due to the rain. I hit a puddle and saw the spray of water come up over the concrete divider, so I slowed down a little more. We traveled on. My little angel fell asleep while gently suckling on her fingers.
As I entered a less populated section of highway, I hit a puddle, and this time, I did not notice a splash. Immediately the car began to lurch to the right. I attempted to turn the wheel in order to regain control, but alas the car seemed to want to slide across the slick road to it's own rhythm and choreography. The car gently glided into the next lane of traffic, and then began to spin. The horrific grace of the car's motions absolutely terrified me as I realized that I was not going to be able to regain control.
At that moment, all I could think about was my poor child sleeping peacefully in the backseat, unaware of the current threat to her wellbeing. At times like these I cannot help but call out to a higher power for support, help, hope and guidance. So that is what I did.
The terrible automotive dance ended in a crash as the rear passenger side of my vehicle hit the concrete divider in the center of the highway. My little angel awoke with a loud cry as her side of the car was impacting the concrete divider. The side airbags deployed. The car had come to rest, in the left lane of traffic, spun around so it was facing the oncoming traffic.
I immediately found my cellphone, fumbled with unlocking the keys for a moment or two and frantically dialed 911. I wasn't sure of the full extent of the damage, or of the condition of my daughter, but I knew that the sooner help arrived the better it would be for all of us. We were left in a very bad location, and a second accident was almost inevitable.
A wonderful gentleman stopped in his van, in the left lane, blocking our car from oncoming traffic. He turned on his hazards and rushed out to make sure everyone was alright. I was trying to talk to him and the 911 operator simultaneously. I tried to get out of my car to check on my daughter in the backseat, who was surprisingly quiet. I forgot to put the car in park, or set the break, and as I pulled my foot off the brake, the car started to lurch forward. The man told me to put the car in park, so I did. And rushed to check on my angel.
She was wide eyed, and suckling on her 2 fingers as always. She was very upset, but appeared to be uninjured. I left her in her car seat, afraid of the possible second crash that may come. i was told by the 911 operator that police were enroute to the scene. I relayed this information to the gentleman in the van, and he informed me that he would stay until the police had arrived, because he felt that people couldn't see us, and might hit us if he left.
While we were waiting, I saw another car hit the same puddle, and slide into the median. He did not travel as far as I did, and his car was drivable afterward, so he drove his car to be in the lee of my accident, and got out to speak with me. He had slowed down, because he saw the van with it's hazards on, and he was trying to merge into the right lane when he hit the puddle and his car began it's short dance across the slick road surface.
Finally the police arrived to assess the situation. I was told to attempt to drive my vehicle off to the shoulder once they stopped traffic. There was a loud grinding as I drove the car and made a U turn onto the shoulder. The police waited for me to check on my daughter's well-being before getting any documentation from me. Gladly my daughter seemed fine. I removed her from her carseat and had her walk along the shoulder for a few steps. I gave her a big bear hig, and re-secured her in her carseat.
We had a friend pick us up, and the car was towed away. I called the pediatrician, and they wanted my little angel to get to an ER to be checked out, but it wasn't urgent. They told me that feeding her first was acceptable, since she hadn't had lunch and it was now 2 hours overdue.
The ER visit went fine, and they are confident that she has no injuries. I have some muscle soreness, but other than that I am fine. The car, we are waiting to hear back about.
Today I will try to spend some time thanking the greater power(s) whatever, or whomever they may be. And the rest of my time will be spent enjoying my angel here on earth, and relaxing with her.
And if the gentleman who stopped in his van ever happens to read this, I do not remember if I thanked you for your kindness. It was greatly appreciated. Thank you with all my heart for reaching out, and being willing to help us in our time of need.
So I bundled up my little baby girl, grabbed my shopping bags and an umbrella, and trudged out to the car. I dropped the bags and umbrella in the back, and then secured my daughter firmly in her car seat. A kiss (or two) on her forehead, and I closed her door and got into the driver's seat.
I was traveling via highway to my favorite supermarket. The roads seemed fine. Everyone was driving at a reduced speed due to the rain. I hit a puddle and saw the spray of water come up over the concrete divider, so I slowed down a little more. We traveled on. My little angel fell asleep while gently suckling on her fingers.
As I entered a less populated section of highway, I hit a puddle, and this time, I did not notice a splash. Immediately the car began to lurch to the right. I attempted to turn the wheel in order to regain control, but alas the car seemed to want to slide across the slick road to it's own rhythm and choreography. The car gently glided into the next lane of traffic, and then began to spin. The horrific grace of the car's motions absolutely terrified me as I realized that I was not going to be able to regain control.
At that moment, all I could think about was my poor child sleeping peacefully in the backseat, unaware of the current threat to her wellbeing. At times like these I cannot help but call out to a higher power for support, help, hope and guidance. So that is what I did.
The terrible automotive dance ended in a crash as the rear passenger side of my vehicle hit the concrete divider in the center of the highway. My little angel awoke with a loud cry as her side of the car was impacting the concrete divider. The side airbags deployed. The car had come to rest, in the left lane of traffic, spun around so it was facing the oncoming traffic.
I immediately found my cellphone, fumbled with unlocking the keys for a moment or two and frantically dialed 911. I wasn't sure of the full extent of the damage, or of the condition of my daughter, but I knew that the sooner help arrived the better it would be for all of us. We were left in a very bad location, and a second accident was almost inevitable.
A wonderful gentleman stopped in his van, in the left lane, blocking our car from oncoming traffic. He turned on his hazards and rushed out to make sure everyone was alright. I was trying to talk to him and the 911 operator simultaneously. I tried to get out of my car to check on my daughter in the backseat, who was surprisingly quiet. I forgot to put the car in park, or set the break, and as I pulled my foot off the brake, the car started to lurch forward. The man told me to put the car in park, so I did. And rushed to check on my angel.
She was wide eyed, and suckling on her 2 fingers as always. She was very upset, but appeared to be uninjured. I left her in her car seat, afraid of the possible second crash that may come. i was told by the 911 operator that police were enroute to the scene. I relayed this information to the gentleman in the van, and he informed me that he would stay until the police had arrived, because he felt that people couldn't see us, and might hit us if he left.
While we were waiting, I saw another car hit the same puddle, and slide into the median. He did not travel as far as I did, and his car was drivable afterward, so he drove his car to be in the lee of my accident, and got out to speak with me. He had slowed down, because he saw the van with it's hazards on, and he was trying to merge into the right lane when he hit the puddle and his car began it's short dance across the slick road surface.
Finally the police arrived to assess the situation. I was told to attempt to drive my vehicle off to the shoulder once they stopped traffic. There was a loud grinding as I drove the car and made a U turn onto the shoulder. The police waited for me to check on my daughter's well-being before getting any documentation from me. Gladly my daughter seemed fine. I removed her from her carseat and had her walk along the shoulder for a few steps. I gave her a big bear hig, and re-secured her in her carseat.
We had a friend pick us up, and the car was towed away. I called the pediatrician, and they wanted my little angel to get to an ER to be checked out, but it wasn't urgent. They told me that feeding her first was acceptable, since she hadn't had lunch and it was now 2 hours overdue.
The ER visit went fine, and they are confident that she has no injuries. I have some muscle soreness, but other than that I am fine. The car, we are waiting to hear back about.
Today I will try to spend some time thanking the greater power(s) whatever, or whomever they may be. And the rest of my time will be spent enjoying my angel here on earth, and relaxing with her.
And if the gentleman who stopped in his van ever happens to read this, I do not remember if I thanked you for your kindness. It was greatly appreciated. Thank you with all my heart for reaching out, and being willing to help us in our time of need.