Gone in an Instant

Our 6th anniversary trip ended much more eventfully than we planned.  While on the drive back from Coeur d'Alene we witnessed an accident.  We were 25 miles north of Connell on highway 395 and saw a Nissan Pathfinder driving the opposite direction start spinning out of control.  After spinning 3 times the car flipped a couple of times landed on its side in the middle of the median.  We pulled over to the left side of the road, making sure to be on the outside of the yellow line.  Dax put on his caution lights and we jumped out of the car to check on the people in the car.

The mother was pulling herself out of the passenger seat just as we arrived at the car.  Another man ran up to the car about 5 seconds after we did.  There were two little girls in the back, so Dax got the door open and I held it for 15 seconds until a man realized I was pregnant and took over.  Dax reached in and unbuckled the little girls and got them out.  After they were out the Dad was able to climb out the passenger side window.  We took them about 20 yards north of their car and go them sat down and calmed down.  The mom was bleeding in a few places on her head, but I think the blood looked worse than the actual cuts.  She had a bad bruise from her seatbelt and her elbow had some glass and scratches in it.  The dad had a few cuts, but nothing too serious.  The girls, aged 4 and 2, were in perfect condition.  Car seats are amazing.  The 4 year-old was sitting on my lap and a couple of other ladies were with me while we talked with the mother and kept the girls calm.  I asked Dax to go check for our first aid kit, but we had taken it out just a few days before when Dax cut his finger open and forgot to put it back.  He was walking back from our car and we heard a loud THUD and turned around to see our car turning 180 degrees and a red Toyota pickup skidding to a halt.  A man told us he saw the pickup ram the rear of our car at 60-70 miles an hour and then start to go up the back end tire, flip in the air, and then roll before stopping.  Our car looked like a stepped on soda can.  Dax was in the car literally 10 seconds before it was hit.

Just prior to our car being hit the 4 year-old girl asked me if I could give her family a ride because they had no car.  I told her that I had room for 3 people in their family, but not for all of them.  After I looked at our car I said, "There goes my ride too."  I think I was in shock for the first couple of minutes.  When I walked over to the car I thought about how close Dax had been to the car, and how if our children and I had been in the car that would be it.  The trunk was pushed up to the passenger seat.  The woman driving the truck had a broken arm and some head trauma, and her 12-13 year-old son wasn't hurt beyond cuts and bruises.  Of the 3 cars in the wreck ours definitely looked the worst, and thankfully was the only one that was empty when it was hit.  People passing by kept gawking at our car, I'm sure assuming the owners were dead.  People I don't even know with cool phones got pictures of my car and I didn't even get any.  I forgot my camera on our trip.  I'm hoping I can get a hold of the state patrol officer to get a couple.

My mom left to pick us up as soon as I called her.  We ended up being the last people to leave the scene besides the state patrol officer and the tow trucks.  It was so sad to look at our car, which Dax had taken immaculate care of, and know that it was gone.  We had talked about a new car while eating dinner the night before.  I thought it would be a good idea to get one in a year and Dax thought we didn't need one for another 3 years.  Mentally, I decided we could compromise at 2.  We could save up the money to buy a used car in cash in that time.  We don't have any debt besides our home, and we want to keep it that way.  This definitely threw a kink in things.  I am just hoping they had good insurance, and that if they didn't our uninsured motorist policy is very generous on the value of our car.

Not the ending I pictured to our anniversary, but Dax it was still a good anniversary because our family is safe and together.  I agree.  We are counting our blessings and are thankful that Heavenly Father is over the very details of our lives.