Dec 24, 2024
Early this morning I had to go run a Christmas errand. I had to pick up my prescriptions before the pharmacy closed. It was raining steadily outside but it was only 7 miles, and I'd be in the car the whole time. I grabbed my jacket, the car keys, and left my wife to bake cookies while I was gone.
Down the road I go, heater on, wipers wiping. I stopped to get the mail. Christmas cards. Drive down to the 4-way stop just as a small truck is making a left turn in front of me.
On the left road, a small sedan is approaching the intersection faster than it should be. He brakes hard to let the truck turn.
I look at the sedan. He is stopped so I continue on my
journey through the intersection. The sedan comes in the road behind me and as I am coming down the hill,
I sense that he may be in a hurry. He is not tailgating, just there.
There is no place for me to pull over so at the bottom of
the hill but just past the roundabout, I see a spot on the shoulder to stop and
let him pass. As soon as I do we are both back on our way. He drives on ahead.
Around a slight bend, not a second later, the driver leaves the road and goes 10 feet up a short embankment and goes airborne over a small ravine. The rise up the embankment causes the vehicle to a slight roll to the left side. As I am driving by I lose sight of them. But immediately pull over, turn on my hazard lights, and run the 10 yards back to the ravine railing. The car is lying right side up, the driver's hands on the wheel. The passenger has opened her door and is on her phone dialing 911, as am I. Mountain roads, no service. We were the only two cars in sight, well mine was on the road, theirs was out of sight in a ravine. I see other cars coming. I flag them down. No one stops. Both ways. Nothing.
I yell down to see if there are any injuries. The passenger says the driver is having a seizure but she is fine. I try to flag other cars. No one stops except one lady. She was able to call 911. The sheriff and ambulance were on their way.
It’s still raining hard. My jacket is getting rain-heavy. I climbed over the railing to see if I could get down to help. I was in sneakers, with bad hips, and bad ankles. I am 66 years old. If I go down that slope, I'll be stuck too, with no one to guide for help.
The passenger, the driver’s girlfriend, is trying to help. We are communicating. I told her help was on the way.
After 5 minutes help arrives. Sheriff, highway road crewman, and then paramedics. I give my statement as others arrive. Sheriff's officers, EMS, and road crew. Lane blocked off. Road safe. Paramedics at the vehicle. Help has arrived.
There are many emotions. The occupants appear to be safe. The officers had my information, so rather than be in the way, I left to go about my business, worried that I did not do enough.
Later, at home, the state police called asking for more information. The occupants were taken to the hospital about 20 miles up the road — no serious injuries.
Two days later the image still haunts me. A vehicle right in front of going flying over a ravine. I am constantly asking myself. Did I do enough? I am going to be more prepared in the future. Ropes, raincoats, and anything else that might be needed in an emergency. We have an emergency kit in the car, but it was little things like band-aids and such.
I think back on this and wonder. If I had not let him pass, would I have seen him go over the ravine? Would he be stuck in the ravine for longer than the 30-minutes he was? What more could I have done? I am glad it all worked out like it did? No serious life-threatening injuries. And yes, I have bee praying for a good outcome.
DN.
