Saturday, May 23, 2009

A Miracle Happened

I started to write this last Saturday but didn't finish and it has taken me a couple more days to decide to post this or not but now I think I should so you can all read about what almost happened to me. I know some of you have heard me tell this story but most of you haven't heard it. I think this was the scariest thing that has ever happened to me...


Last Thursday I decided to drive out to my mom and dad's to spend the day and night there. When I got off the exit, it shortly become a dead stop in my direction. Knowing that I still had about 20-30 minutes of driving I wasn't sure what to do and after seeing a fire truck, ambulance, and police car drive by I knew it wasn't good. After talking to my parents on the phone, I quickly did a U-turn to go a different way to their house. Right after I started to go the other way, I found out on the traffic report that there was a head on collision and both ways were blocked. I started to feel so bad for those people involved in that accident and especially for the families involved. As I was carrying on my way, I got back onto the freeway and as I continued to pick up speed I noticed a long line of semi-trucks that were stopped on an exit to get onto the scales, but I had noticed seconds earlier that the sign said they were closed, so I thought it was strange that there were so many lined up for that exit. Right after I thought that, I had only a few delicate seconds to make the right decision over life and death. That may sound a little exaggerated to you, but these few seconds which I am about to tell you, almost took the life of my daughter and me. I have never in my life been this close to death.




As I was going about 60 mph in the slow lane one of the semi-trucks that was in the line off the exit started to get over into my lane. The first thing I did was slame on my breaks, which made Max go flying to the dashboard. I continued to break and I as I was looking into the rearview mirror and over my left shoulder to get over to the left, there was another semitruck in that lane just about to fly by me. To my surprise, I actually stayed calm which helped me do the only right thing in this situation to stay alive, I kept the car straight driving on the middle of the dotted lane (in between both semi's) feeling the vibration of both semi's on both sides of me inches away from my car and the screeching of the semi on the left was unbearable. I tried to then proceed to go and the car would not go, then I realized that Max thru the car into neutral when he went flying. At this time, I was only a few feet in front of the semi on the right, I quickly put the car into drive and continued driving. I honestly don't know how we made it. If I would have gone all the way into the second lane and tried to gun it, the car would have been in neutral without me knowing and then for sure I would have been rear-ended by the semi with Jill in the back seat. It just makes me sick to even think about that and all the unknowns. All I know is that I was not alone. I know that I was being protected. Sweet little Jill slept thru the whole ordeal. I would hate for anything bad to ever happen to her or anyone in my family including all of you that will read this. Life is so fragile.

"Life is but a day; a fragile dew-drop on its perilous way from a tree's summit."
(John Keats 1795-1821)

"Life is fragile, handle it with prayer." - -- Arthur christopher benson



5 comments:

Molly said...

Dana! That is so scary! I am so glad you guys are okay. Way to stay calm in such a scary situation.

Cheryl said...

Wow Dana. I didn't know about this. How scary!! I am so mad at both of those semi-truck drivers!! What a miracle. I am so grateful.

Alice said...

Thank goodness all is well. I always stay way clear of semi's. They freak me out!

Laura said...

Dana, I can't believe that. I am so grateful you are okay. I think semi drivers are the worst drivers out there! They think they own the road... our family has had many near death encounters with semis as well. Seriously, stricter laws should be made for truck drivers.
Again, I am so glad you're okay.

JEM said...

I'm certain Heavenly Father was looking out for you and little Jill. I'm so thankful you're all OK.