Hit & Miss

“Hang on”, Ed urgently interrupted my conversation with Stephanie. As I turned back to the front to look at him, I heard a horrible crunching sound as a huge truck t-boned a small car. I watched as the woman in the passenger seat slammed into the man driving, then slide back into her seat, seat belt on. The driver, also slid right, into the door, then back into his seat. His seat belt also on. They were five feet from the front of our little Rav-4 where we were waiting for clearance to turn right across traffic.

The truck was dump truck sized, loaded with stone blocks. It’s grill was stuck in the passenger window of the white Mercedes sedan it had rammed. I am convinced it would have run right over a lesser made car. We have come across countless vehicles after accidents with trucks that had indeed been run over completely.

Ed and I instantly got out of our car, doors left open, Stephanie in the back seat. In the three steps to their car, I wondered what I would do with no supplies on hand. As we got to the car and looked in, we found both of the people were awake, and alert. The man, took his seat belt off and got out of his car. The woman stayed seated, seatbelt on. She complained of pain across her chest, under the belt, but had no difficulty breathing. I suggested she stay in the car, still, until help arrived. That there was no blood was an answer to prayer. My medical bag was sitting by the front door at home, awaiting restocking.

The typical crowd gathered quickly and seeing that both people in the car were stable and did not need us, we quickly returned to our car and drove through the crowd before we could be stuck for hours, awaiting the police and mob dispersement.

After six years of driving on the horribly congested and lawless roadways, this is the closest we have come to being in an accident. If that truck driver had swerved to avoid hitting the car, he would have barreled right into us. If the Mercedes had been a bit slower or faster, he would have been spun into us. Instead, he bore the impact and we were spared. Please pray for the couple in that car. They will be in pain for some time as the impact was severe. Praise God with us, they were not killed or more seriously hurt.

And please, wear your seat belts.