Sunday, June 9, 2013

highway don't care

I'm driving down the road, leaving my family at the lake to go to a meeting. I usually tend to have a hard time remembering to wear my seatbelt, and this day was no different, except I had a feeling that I needed to buckle up. Immediately I strapped my belt across myself and continued driving. It was about an hour long journey, and I was running a tad late, so perhaps that combination caused a lapse in appropriate surrounding judgment.

I was passing a car in a double lane when the road changed. More abruptly than I anticipated, I pulled up behind a car that was going a great deal slower than I was (not even really speeding.) However, the car was going so slow, that the force I had to put on my brakes to not rear end it caused me to lose control of my own car. I flew off the road, heading for a ditch and a huge bush when I blacked out. I woke up hanging upside down. Looking around for my phone in hopes to call someone, I noticed my car leaking fluid. Immediately my mind flashed with scenes of movies where the rolled over car leaks fluid and blows to kingdom come. My only thought was that I needed to get out of there as soon as humanly possible. I unbuckled my seatbelt and dropped to the ceiling. As soon as I was upright, my nose started bleeding everywhere as I frantically unlock each door and try desperately to get out. Much to my dismay, all of my doors were blocked by the walls of a ditch I had landed in. Reaching for the last door in the back, I prayed for strength to get out of that car. Luckily the door had been smashed by the bush rather than the ground, so I was able to open it enough to grab onto a fence above me and pull myself out.

I stumbled around and away from the car to hear a woman calling out for her son go help me. I feel an arm around me and realizing the magnitude of the situation, I lost all composure. A group of people gathered and helped me, calling 911, trying to get a hold of my family, staying with me, comforting me. I don't know how I was so blessed to come across such compassionate strangers. An off duty firefighter stopped by and checked me out while the ambulance made its way over. Finally the paramedics arrived, put me in a neck brace, and strapped me to a gurney, on which they took me to the ER. Extended family showed up and one of the ladies that found me and called my parents waited with me til my family could get there.

After what seemed an eternity, my parents arrived. They came into the room, and I looked up at them, strapped to a board, neck brace still in place, blood everywhere, crying, when the officer showed up to issue a ticket. +10 point for sensitivity, man. I spent the next few hours getting x-rays, a CAT scan, which was fun, because when they were prepping me to get scanned, I had to tell them I was wearing extensions with metal clips. It then took the doctor and 3 nurses to roll me over and take them all out. Note to self, next time you're going to roll your car, don't wear extensions. After being discharged, having no broken bones-miraculously-except possibly my nose, my parents took me home. During the drive, my dad called the tow company that had my car. Nothing could have even possibly been salvaged. The entire undercarriage had completely detached from the top. Everything was smashed--my wonderful, beautiful, first car that I bought myself, was totaled. That same lady that was so kind that came to the hospital with me had said she watched the whole thing happen. According to her and anyone else on the scene, I should have been dead, or at least severely injured. When I flew off the road, my car was air bourn, and when it came in contact with the ground, it landed on the nose, flipped up, and rolled over. I am positive had I not been wearing my seatbelt, I wouldn't be writing this post. My only prompting was to put it on. This was supposed to happen. What my next steps are will take some praying to figure out, but I am so thankful that I was protected. I'm so grateful to not be paralyzed, or even dead. I'm beyond glad I was the only one in the car, and that no other vehicles or people were involved. I thank my Father in Heaven for this miracle. I lost my car, my phone is less than functional, basically any and all earthly possessions I own are gone, but they are just things. I wanted to express my gratitude for all of you--for your concern, your words of comfort and encouragement, your love. I'm thankful for those strangers who were able to get me to the hospital, and my family who has taken care of me and watch over me. I'm not really grateful for the cop that fined me though. But I love this life I get to keep living. Never forget what is important. Cars, phones, money, its all replaceable. Human life is not. Its fragile and precious. Love those around you, after all, you never know if you have tomorrow.



And that's how I broke my nose the third time...

But seriously.

2 comments:

Unknown said...

Olivia!
This made me cry! I'm so happy you're okay and if you need help like getting around until you have a new car... I'm your gal I get off work at 2 and just live in Orem so it's no big deal! I can't believe the nerve of that jerk cop :( 3 years ago I had one ticket for going 5 miles over the limit and since I got it around Christmas he thought it would be appropriate to wish me a "Merry Christmas".. boy i wanted to kick him in the jingle bells.... haha Anyways, love you and I'm so glad you are alright!

Unknown said...

Alysha! You're the sweetest, thank you so much. I really appreciate this. I love you, and I will definitely call you, if at least just to hang out and see your pretty, pretty face:) love you

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