Name: Jacqueline K. Riser
From: Whitmire , SC
Votes: 0
I’ll
never forget the day that I got my license. I have always been one of
those kids who has wanted to grow up and I remember thinking as a
little girl that once I finally got my license, I would be considered
a “young adult”. I remember the way that I felt when my
instructor told me I had passed. I remember swinging the door open to
my house and crying tears of joy when I told my parents the great
news. I remember going to the DMV and getting my picture taken. My
smile was so big I’m surprised it even fit on my license. Back then
I was young and naïve, and I had absolutely no clue just
how dangerous driving could be.
Sure,
I had heard the horror stories. I even know of a girl at my school
who was involved in a serious motor vehicle collision, that left her
permanently paralyzed from the neck down. I’ve heard plenty of news
stories and I’ve read tons of books but nothing at all can prepare
you for the day that those horror stories become your very own
reality. I remember the day of my grandmother’s accident like it was
yesterday. I woke up to my dog barking so loud I couldn’t even hear
myself think. I remember going to the window in our kitchen and
seeing at least 3 police cars and an ambulance in our driveway. I
remember swinging the door wide open and racing out into the yard.
I’m sure my feet didn’t even touch the ground until I was by my
grandmothers’ side. EMS was stabilizing her leg and getting ready to
load her onto the stretcher. I later learned that my grandmother’s
leg was ran over by her car and the function of that leg would never
be the same.
Hearing
my sister scream for help and seeing my grandmother loaded onto the
stretcher are two things I will never forget. My grandmother’s
accident was extremely traumatic for my entire family, but I know
that even when bad things happen there is still some kind
of good that comes out. Because of my grandmother’s accident I
realized just how important it was to practice safety when behind the
wheel. I now see the true importance of drivers ed and how much
of a difference that extra training can do for someone. It may seem
unnecessary but one day that training may save your life or the life
of someone you love.
