After spending a typical Friday night with Frank and Molly, we were driving home and stopped at a red light before turning left onto a state highway around 10:30p. We chatted until the light turned green and I looked both ways before pushing on the gas. I saw headlights coming at us and really did think that they were stopping. But I was wrong. Those headlights didn't even slow down. They belonged to a 17 year old girl who was distracted at the wheel. She didn't see the red traffic light, nor did she see us. The speed limit on the road is 55 mph so I'm assuming she was going at least that fast when she collided into our car.
This is what our car looks like now:
This is what our car looks like now:
When I realized that it was too late, my instincts took over and I veered to the right. We think that's what saved us from a worse fate. Because instead of us getting T-boned or getting in a head on collision, her front right and our front left ricocheted off of each other. She went off onto the side of the road and we ended up doing a 180 degree spin in the middle of the road.Also, when I realized it was too late, I remember thinking, "This isn't really happening." The next thing I remember is sucking air and coughing on the chemical that is inside the air bags. I started to recognize my surroundings and saw that the airbags had deployed. But I didn't hear any crying. I threw open my door, grabbed the handle of the back passenger door as though I was going to rip it right off the hinges. I couldn't get that door open fast enough. But then I saw Jack's face as I heaved open the door. He was alert and looking at me as if to say, "What just happened?!" Pete was right there with me as we got him out of the car and wrapped a blanket around him.
Then I heard a woman on the other side of the road saying that we needed to get out of the road and into her car to stay warm and wait for the ambulance. I know that the 17 year old girl was out of her car and asking if we were okay, but frankly I couldn't acknowledge her. My mind was on Jack. And my eyes were on this kind woman who had invited us into her car.
She was on the phone with 911 and describing Jack to the operator. I sat down in the passenger seat of her car and Pete shut the door after us. The woman bent down to get a good look at Jack. She smiled at him and he gave her a huge grin back. That's when I took my first real breathe. He was okay.
I also noticed that I was shaking uncontrollably and it occurred to me that I should take inventory. Yup, I've got all my fingers and toes. No real pain anywhere. Then I looked for Pete. He was limping, but walking. And talking to his parents on the phone. The next thing I knew, the ambulance arrived. The paramedics were able to corral Pete, full of adrenaline, into the ambulance and check him out. Then I take my first good look at him. His face was bleeding everywhere. Jack and I had blood on us, too. It looked as though someone had taken sandpaper to Pete's face. They cleaned him up and said it was up to us whether we go to the hospital.
The police officer gave us our incident report, we talked to the towing guy and met up with Pete's parents as they were getting the last of our things out of our car. We decided in the end to split up: Glenn was going to take Pete to the hospital and I was going to take Jack home to bed. Pete's knee was really hurting him and he had ringing in his ear.
Sue took me home where I got on the phone with the insurance company and then waited for Pete as long as I could. I finally went to bed around 2:00 AM only to be woken up at 4:00 AM as Pete was limping up the stairs. He had x-rays taken of his shoulder and knee and a CT scan of his head due to the ringing. Everything checked out but his knee. Nothing was broken but there was definite damage. They discharged him with the caveat that he was to go to the orthopedic surgeon on Monday. Something is torn or stretched or even chipped.
Even so, we are thanking our Heavenly Father for watching over us. We could have been much, much worse off. I know that angels were with us and especially our little Jack, who didn't even have a scratch on him. I know that we were being protected because both parties were alive and were able to walk away from the accident.
So, the day after almost dying, I've got a couple of goose eggs, a fat lip, and a seatbelt burn across my neck. Pete's got sandpaper for a face, a bad ear and can hardly walk. But we are certainly counting our blessings!
Our sincerest thanks to Pete's parents for all that they have done for us these last couple of days. We are very grateful to them for their kindness. We also want to thank the nice lady, the paramedics, and the police officer who helped us after the accident. And we would like to thank our family, friends (I love the flowers, Sarah!) and the members of our church ward who have visited and called to check up on us. We're recovering well and feeling very loved!
And who could blame him? What with all the ribbon and bows and stickers and wrapping paper and bags and tape. Everything shiny and new! 
Jack's hands and eyes were going in all different directions because he just couldn't decide what to eat first. 
He would put one thing in his mouth with one hand while grabbing for something else with the other hand. 