two seconds earlier...

I have to write about this because I can't stop thinking about it. I need to release it.

Sunday night we were driving down Casper Mountain and as we approached the intersection and I heard Ely, in a very strange voice say "NO, OH NO, NO!" I looked up to see the SUV in front of us get hit by a red car that was going 60mph through a red light. The SUV spun around and flipped on its side almost rolling but than fell back on its side. He grabbed his phone and I grabbed the door and ran. I got to the red car first, two young adults opened the doors and just sat there while black smoke billowed out of their car. They were ok, just reeling from the impact of the Air Bags. I saw gas leaking and all I could think of was those movies where after the car accident, gas leaks and inevitably the car blows up. I started screaming for them to get away from the car. I asked if they were ok and the girl just started crying "My cars totaled and my parents are going to kill me". I grabbed this strangers shoulders and said "YOU ARE ALIVE"! I probably would of hugged her if I didn't want to smack her because not ONCE did she go up to the car on its side with 4 people stuck in it unable to move or get out. Not once did she ask anyone who stopped to help if the people were ok. She just sat on the curb and cried and called her parents and cried about her totaled car. And she lied. She lied that her brakes went out. But there were skid marks and we heard her brake when she finally realized what she had done.

Thankfully, the 4 people in the car were ok. A couple and their Elderly parents. The passenger and the lady behind the passenger's side were stuck hanging sideways just grasping to their seat belts. Imagine that! You know when you are on a ride and you are completely sideways for a few seconds? They were like that for about 15 minutes. 911 told us not to tip the car over so we had to wait until for the Fire Truck to rescue them with the jaws of life. You could just see their grasping arms, bloody and cut from glass. All the windows were knocked out and the food from their nice evening picnic was thrown all over the road. The fire Men came and all 4 people walked away from the accident with scrapes and bruises, it was truly a miracle. Ely is used to this stuff and just came up to the cop gave him his name, #, badge # telling him he saw the whole thing... she was paying no attention, just zipped through the light and she is lying. He turned to me and said "Lets Go". I said "I can't... I need to see if they're alright". He understood, he just didn't want the kids to be alone in the car.

My mind just started reeling... we were the next car. We could of been that car if we hadn't encountered a deer on the side of the road... and slowed down just enough to let the SUV get in front of us. My worst fear , the thought of my kids being hurt or having to go through that literally made me throw up. The only positive thing I took away from this is I know who I am. I am the girl who would of run to the car to see if the other car was ok, not the girl who cried about her loss, not the girl that lied. Im so thankful everyone was ok, and that it wasn't us. Im also thankful for Air Bags and seat belts because 40 years ago all these people would of been dead.