So Thankful I Can Post This Morning

I had a great weekend at UGA's Marine Education Center and Aquarium on Skidaway Island near Savannah. I was there to attend a workshop to re-certify as a facilitator for the Project Wild, Project Wet, and Project Learning Tree programs. Sheila tagged along and spent the two days exploring Skidaway and Tybee Islands on her own. 

We were driving home in pretty heavy Saturday evening traffic on I-75 just north of Morrow nearing Tara Boulevard... 

...in the second lane from the left of the four northbound lanes. 

 Unknown to me and two cars ahead, two sixteen year-olds had a tire blowout and managed to stall and come to a complete stop.  The car between us swerved into the left lane and missed it. It took a second to realize the tail-lights now revealed in front of me were not moving. With 80 mph+ traffic on both sides, there was nowhere to go but into the stopped car.  Luckily I was traveling a little under the 65 mph speed limit... 

...and had space to brake, not enough to stop but enough to avoid major injuries. (This picture was taken after the cars had been moved to the right shoulder)

We spent the next ten minutes, as we awaited first responders and the traffic sped by on both sides at high speed, strapped in and bracing for what seemed the inevitable next collision from behind. But it didn't come, thank heavens. 

Sheila was pretty shaken up but was checked out, first in the car then in an ambulance, by the paramedics. They gave her the choice of a hospital visit or not. She chose to be released. She is very sore, and I'm a bit sore too, but we are both intact and very thankful to be comfortably ensconced at Lillian's house, whole and happy.

One last picture of the Camry hooked to the tow truck. One very curious thing to me is that the airbags did not deploy.

Here is Sheila's letter to her side of the family:

Dear Family, 

Terrell and I are counting our blessings this morning. We were in a car crash in I-75 last night about 10 p.m., but no serious injuries, just very stiff and sore (me) and a little sore (Terrell). Our Toyota Camry is totaled, I’m sure.  

A car was stalled in the middle of four lanes of traffic and we crashed into it. The two young men in that car were not hurt, and thankfully no one hit us from behind. We called 911 and  the first emergency vehicle was there in less than 10 minutes. I was really worried about my neck and back, but was checked out by EMTs and they gave me a choice of hospital or not, and I decided not. Ice packs, heating pads and Ibuprophen have helped. This morning I am not as sore as I expected to be. I was afraid I would be too stiff to get out of bed. 

We were driving from Savannah, where Terrell attended a conference for his work at Arrowhead, and were south of Atlanta, between Morrow and Forest Park. 

Police got the cars off the road and took us to a gas station at the closest exit, where Lillian and Jordan picked us up. We are at their house now.

Side note: The back seats of police cars are hard plastic with extremely tight leg room. I hope I don’t have to ride in one again!

We will spend today dealing with insurance, getting a rental car, emptying the Camry, which is at a shop near the site of the accident.

We are glad to be alive. Keep us in your thoughts.  

Love, 

Sheila 

I have had several times in my life to be very thankful for first responders. Never more so than this night. 

The first two YOUNG police officers very calm, professional and efficient. Soon they were joined by two more officers, several firefighters, and several paramedics. At 75 the whole world seems young, I suppose, but these men and women seemed especially so and ALL very professional and kind under stressful and dangerous conditions. 

I stood against that high metal wall that lines the interstate highway awaiting the tow truck, probably 40 minutes after the crash. Suddenly a speeder, despite multiple emergency vehicles with an amazing array of blue and red lights, swerved onto the right shoulder to dodge the police car blocking the right lane then back between it and the next police car into traffic in the second lane from the right. Inches kept that car from causing another terrifying accident that might have killed the police officer in the car -- not to mention near misses with other traffic.

Whew. Yes, I am counting blessings.