I unfortunately have been in a car accident, and by the grace of God, it was not fatal. Although it may not have put a scratch on my skin, it forever changed the way I view driving and especially driving in the rain.
It was my sophomore year, and I had my license for just over two months. I bought a beautiful black Toyota Tacoma with my own money that I had saved for years to be able to afford. It was a 2004 car, a little old, but I loved it so much.
Due to my demanding figure skating schedule my PE period is the first class in the morning, but I had the luxury or being able to practice at the ice rink before school and start at 11:45 AM along with everyone else’s second period. Having done so many hours of an individual sport, figure skating counted as my physical education credit. At the time my coach had a heart attack a few weeks before the accident and was in remission, so I was taking a break from skating to get my emotions back together and find a new coach until his recovery was complete.
Because I was not skating that Friday morning, I had a bit of extra time to get ready. I did my makeup and curled my hair, even doing a small braid, pinning it to the side.
It had rained all night and was currently misting. I was waiting at a stoplight to get to my second period class and listening to a Bailey Zimmerman song. Not getting much rain in Southern California the roads become oily and slippery- something I had never thought of until being told by the cops a little while later.
I waited in the left turn lane at a red light, relaxed, and thinking about the essay I was going to be writing in my fourth period class that day.
What quotes I could use, the main ideas of George Orwell’s 1984, and the proper MLA Format points- all thoughts that filled my head while I waited for my turn to go.
As the main chorus of “Where It Ends” by Bailey Zimmerman played and the consistent clicking of my left blinker, I watched the light change from red to green.
I slowly pressed on the gas and turn the wheel, driving into the far right lane, as I do
Every. Single. Day.
I let my foot off the gas as I do every single time I turn and press on the gas again. Only this time it didn’t drive like normal. It felt different, like my truck was floating- only it wasn’t floating. It was sliding.
It was sliding counterclockwise very quickly.
I remembered reading about hydroplaning and to turn the wheel the opposite way I was spinning, so I did.
Terrified, I yanked the wheel from left to right and my car turned clockwise. Still sliding, I panicked even more, and thinking the wheels would catch on the concrete, I pushed down on gas to the floor.
My truck went over the sidewalk and into the bushes. And by some Holy force, glided through the air, landing directly between an electrical box and a speeding sign. I wouldn’t have been able to make that NASCAR type move even if I tried.
I slammed my foot on the break and felt as if the world had stopped. I looked around to find myself in the bushes. I let go of the break, heart racing, turned on the emergency break, turned off my car, and stepped out into the bushes and then onto the concrete.
I immediately called my mom and within seconds, she was on her way. Just as I hung up the phone a nice elderly couple parked their car and asked if I was alright. I said yes and told them my mom is on her way. Two other kind men parked and offered to help try and get the car out of the bushes.
Waiting with me until my mom arrived, the older couple told me my accident was the oddest, strangest thing they’ve ever seen. They watched the whole thing, from stopping at the left turning light, to driving into the far right lane, to twisting both ways before flying into bushes.
The other men who had stopped to help, attempted to get my car out of the bushes by reversing. But every time they would let go of the break, it would slide down inch by inch due to the wet shrubs and mud. And unfortunately, up against the speed limit sign to where I was unable to reverse without ruining my car or knocking over the sign.
By then my mom had arrived, and was there to comfort me, hear the elderly couples witness story, and do what she could to help.
We weren’t able to get the car out of the bushes without damaging the speed limit sign or crushing the back end of my car so the man just decided to take the sign down. The two men ripped the sign out of the ground together and tossed it on the sidewalk.
I climbed over the bushes and into my car, and back up into the bike lane. By some miracle, not a scratch was on my truck.
Just as I backed into the bike lane, the cops arrived and asked for statements. I, of course, was so scared, so grateful to be alive, so grateful my car was alright, and so grateful to not have damaged myself or others.
The police were so gracious and patient with me. They let me go with no warnings or anything of that nature. They even took a picture with me for the school‘s attendance so my tardy can be excused.
I’m so grateful to have been able to get out of this mess, alive, healthy, and with an unscratched car. Unfortunately, I still battle anxiety when driving in the rain or driving on wet concrete, but this car accident had taught me to always drive slow, be aware, and constantly check my tires.
This incident changed the way I think about driving- especially in dangerous weather conditions. From then on I know to always be focused and paying attention to the road ahead when driving.