Car Crash

As I pulled out into the intersection to make a left at the light, I vaguely heard my husband make an unrecognizable noise. I quickly glanced to my right and I saw it -- a silver Lexus coming right at us. It all seemed to happen as if in slow motion, so I guess it is true what people say about your life flashing before your hands right before you die. The Lexus appeared to have come out of nowhere. I know I waited and looked both ways before I pulled out into the intersection because I am fully aware that the majority of Virginia drivers do not stop at yellow lights---for some reason they almost always try to speed through them. Being from Atlanta, this was utterly ridiculous to me as in my 23 years of driving, I have always slowed down at the yellow light. Maybe that is the reason why I have never been in an accident before--until now.

I slammed on my brakes even though I knew it was too late...we were going to get hit, and hit hard. Strangely enough, the Lexus did not even brake. I don't know if he wasn't looking, was distracted, talking on his cellphone, or what...but even later in the hospital the police confirmed that there were NO SKID MARKS--"He did not put on his brakes at all", said the police officer. Then as I gripped the steering wheel bracing for the crash, the loud sound of metal to metal shattered this late Saturday morning. Afterwards I froze. I was shocked at what just had happened. I saw my husband's lips moving, saw two or three cars pull over to the side and people get out of their cars, saw the driver of the Lexus get out and approach my husband in the middle of the street, heard my girls in the backseat saying something, but it was all a blur to me. I can not tell you what any of those people were saying because I was numb and shaking.

The sound of my little girls crying in the backseat snapped me out of it. I tried to turn around and tell them everything would be alright, but my neck would not let me move. I was hit with a sharp, throbbing pain in my neck and a splitting migraine. I quietly told my kids that I was okay and that everything was alright. In a haze of lights, confusion, and noises, I was fitted with a neck brace and strapped onto a stretcher then placed into the back of an ambulance where my three children were waiting. The girls immediately began crying when they saw mommy strapped down to the stretcher. The paramedic and I both assured the girls all was okay and they hesitantly stopped the sniffling. I felt awful that they had to see me that way and although I was in pain, refused to let it show on my face. The paramedics indicated that the kids would not be allowed to ride with us to the hospital so the girls were escorted off the ambulance to join me later at the hospital.

After x-rays the police officer at the scene of the accident came into my hospital room to take an official statement in our handwriting. He indicated that the driver of the other car "Didn't really admit running the red light." He said that the driver said that he did not know what had happened which the officer replied to me that he can sort of understand why he would be denying it.....as he put it, "With two little girls in the car, he doesn't want to openly admit that he was in the wrong in running the red light." But he also said that the other driver was "visibly shaken" and asked how I was doing. I already knew that the two little girls in the other car had seatbelt burns from the accident and were okay because I asked about them in the ambulance ride to the hospital. The paramedic had told me they were sipping sprites in the firetruck.

I don't know how much damage was actually done to the Expedition, I know it was destroyed in the front, but I don't know if they can fix it or not. Regardless of all of that, I am very thankful that my family is alive and well. I was the only person in the accident seriously injured, and luckily it is whiplash. I was told by the ER doctors that I can expect to be in pain for some days and was given a prescription of percercot and advised to take a double dose of alleve twice a day. I will take whatever pain comes my way as long as my children are spared !