A Different Kind of Pickup
2026 Driver Education Round 2
Renosh Rejoy
Irving, Texas
Something was going on when I saw my grandma's car in the car line pickup area outside.
In high school, when plans changed, such as an errand to run or severe weather lingering in the area, my mother would let me know ahead of time, sometimes even days in advance.
My grandma picking my sister and me up from school wasn't expected, however.
I was somewhat confused by my grandma's arrival. I saw her head out onto the pavement from the windows, so my sister and I exited the campus and entered my grandma's car. As soon as I opened the door, I saw my grandfather on the passenger seat, accompanying my grandmother. I immediately knew that something wasn't right.
As soon as I sat down, I happily greeted my grandmother, like usual: "Hi Ammachi! (means grandma in Malayalam)." I looked at the rearview mirror. I expected her eyes and warm smile to appear as she looked at me. However, I got a quick, neutral glance at me before returning her focus to the road in front of her.
"I wasn't expecting you to come today," I said to my grandparents.
"Ah, Renosh, your mummy got in a car accident, and so we came to pick you both up," my grandfather said.
My cheerful smile quickly faded. My heart began to race faster than the bumps on the road.
"Oh my gosh! Is Mummy okay?" I asked.
"Yeah, she is okay; she is at home," said my grandfather.
A whirlwind of possible situations flooded my head. Did someone rear-end her? Did she skid off the road? Did her brakes stop working? I was struggling to find a solution.
Driving into my neighborhood, my eyes targeted my mom's 2008 Gray Honda Accord parked outside the house. When the other trees and houses passed by, I was finally able to get a full observation of the car.
This car has held a special place in my heart. It was a car that was as old as I was, the car that followed every step of my life. As soon as we pulled up in the driveway, I realized that it had passed away without letting me know. I jumped out of my grandmother's car and inspected the damage: the entire left side of the car stripped of the gray exterior, leaving behind its naked, white interior. I let out a large exhale.
Walking into the house, I saw my dad (who was typically at work during this time) sitting in the living room with my uncle and my mother, who appeared extremely disheveled. She looked up to acknowledge my presence before wiping another tear off her face. I asked everyone what happened. My dad replied, saying, "While your mummy was driving, a large truck recklessly turned into the right lane, the same lane she was driving in, and continued to turn into the plaza, not knowing that the truck took Mummy's car, flipped it, and continued driving until it stopped."
I was speechless. Imagining how that occurred in my mind frightened me. Thankfully, nothing happened to her physically, but she was extremely affected mentally. What started as a routine pickup from school became a traumatizing event that has scarred her for the rest of her life.
The ability for humans to drive cars as a method of transportation is a luxury. When humans don't appreciate the luxury of driving, or disregard any rules on the road, it leads to serious consequences. In America, an average of 34,000 people die each year as a result of driving, more than the total number of American soldiers who have died from war in Iraq and Afghanistan combined. In the case of my mother, 3 years ago today, she was the victim in this accident, and a legal case settled the truck driver as the liable one for all of the emotional distress and damage to the car. Because of this careless truck driver, my mother continues to drive, fearful of any trucks and buses, and does whatever she can to avoid them entirely, even if it means pick-up times at school taking longer than usual because my mother wants to use the easier exit – designated for the primary school students – to avoid a similar accident ever again. It's really important to look all around you before making any such changes on the road. All it takes is one second before a person's life can completely change on the road. Be respectful on the road!
In high school, when plans changed, such as an errand to run or severe weather lingering in the area, my mother would let me know ahead of time, sometimes even days in advance.
My grandma picking my sister and me up from school wasn't expected, however.
I was somewhat confused by my grandma's arrival. I saw her head out onto the pavement from the windows, so my sister and I exited the campus and entered my grandma's car. As soon as I opened the door, I saw my grandfather on the passenger seat, accompanying my grandmother. I immediately knew that something wasn't right.
As soon as I sat down, I happily greeted my grandmother, like usual: "Hi Ammachi! (means grandma in Malayalam)." I looked at the rearview mirror. I expected her eyes and warm smile to appear as she looked at me. However, I got a quick, neutral glance at me before returning her focus to the road in front of her.
"I wasn't expecting you to come today," I said to my grandparents.
"Ah, Renosh, your mummy got in a car accident, and so we came to pick you both up," my grandfather said.
My cheerful smile quickly faded. My heart began to race faster than the bumps on the road.
"Oh my gosh! Is Mummy okay?" I asked.
"Yeah, she is okay; she is at home," said my grandfather.
A whirlwind of possible situations flooded my head. Did someone rear-end her? Did she skid off the road? Did her brakes stop working? I was struggling to find a solution.
Driving into my neighborhood, my eyes targeted my mom's 2008 Gray Honda Accord parked outside the house. When the other trees and houses passed by, I was finally able to get a full observation of the car.
This car has held a special place in my heart. It was a car that was as old as I was, the car that followed every step of my life. As soon as we pulled up in the driveway, I realized that it had passed away without letting me know. I jumped out of my grandmother's car and inspected the damage: the entire left side of the car stripped of the gray exterior, leaving behind its naked, white interior. I let out a large exhale.
Walking into the house, I saw my dad (who was typically at work during this time) sitting in the living room with my uncle and my mother, who appeared extremely disheveled. She looked up to acknowledge my presence before wiping another tear off her face. I asked everyone what happened. My dad replied, saying, "While your mummy was driving, a large truck recklessly turned into the right lane, the same lane she was driving in, and continued to turn into the plaza, not knowing that the truck took Mummy's car, flipped it, and continued driving until it stopped."
I was speechless. Imagining how that occurred in my mind frightened me. Thankfully, nothing happened to her physically, but she was extremely affected mentally. What started as a routine pickup from school became a traumatizing event that has scarred her for the rest of her life.
The ability for humans to drive cars as a method of transportation is a luxury. When humans don't appreciate the luxury of driving, or disregard any rules on the road, it leads to serious consequences. In America, an average of 34,000 people die each year as a result of driving, more than the total number of American soldiers who have died from war in Iraq and Afghanistan combined. In the case of my mother, 3 years ago today, she was the victim in this accident, and a legal case settled the truck driver as the liable one for all of the emotional distress and damage to the car. Because of this careless truck driver, my mother continues to drive, fearful of any trucks and buses, and does whatever she can to avoid them entirely, even if it means pick-up times at school taking longer than usual because my mother wants to use the easier exit – designated for the primary school students – to avoid a similar accident ever again. It's really important to look all around you before making any such changes on the road. All it takes is one second before a person's life can completely change on the road. Be respectful on the road!
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