Shaken Up

Caroline and I were in a MINOR car accident today, and it really shook me up (for many reasons).  Let me first say, IT WAS NOT MY FAULT and I was NOT on my phone!  Those were my first words to Bert (along with we are both okay) when I called him. 

I knew it was going to happen.  It felt like slow motion.  I was driving down Roswell Rd when a car pulled out (right on red).  It would've been fine if she'd stayed in the right lane, but she pulled all the way over to mine.  She obviously never saw me (or heard my horn blowing), but I'm glad I saw her coming because I was able to slow down enough for her to run into my passenger side instead of Caroline's passenger side.  This is the first wreck I've been in while driving that was not a fender bender.  It was also my first wreck with one of my children in the car.  Adds a whole new level of fear to the situation.  When I got out, I was a little shaken up and didn't really know what to do.  I felt like a kid again.  I made sure Caroline was okay, then I sat there thinking about what I was supposed to do first.  Call 911?  Go check on the other driver?  Call Bert?  I decided to take a few breaths to calm down, then I got out. 

Another car pulled over as well, and at first I was afraid that it had been involved too.  They turned out to be good samaritans checking on us, and thanfully witnesses willing to vouch for what happened.  When the wife in the good samaritan car went to check on the other driver, she was quite beligerent.  Apparently cussing me and screaming about her brand new car.  That's when the good samaritan came back over saying she and her family would stay to make sure the police knew what really happened.  It shook me up all over again that this girl was acting that way. I tried to remind myself that she was young and probably scared, but her behavior was quite rediculous. 

Once the police officer arrived, he reassured me that she was at fault and would be ticketed.  Finally, her dad and college-aged sister showed up.  I was shook up once again when her sister, came up to me and asked, "What happened from your point of view?"  I almost strted laughing.  But I restrained and explained to her what happened.  Then she said, "Or you pulled over into her lane while she was pulling out."  That's when I really just wanted to smack this kid.  Thankfully the officer explained that even if that was the case (which it wasn't) I still had the right-of-way and that it would still be her fault.  I reminded the young lady that there were unbiased witnesses willing to verify the truth.

At the end of the day, I'm just glad everyone (especially my baby) is okay.  And I'm more determined than ever to make sure my girls are raised to behave better than the girls I encountered today.

Bert had rushed Elizabeth out the door at the end of her nap to come pick up Caroline so she didn't have to be in the freezing cold while everything was being settled.  Both girls were patient little sweethearts.  So we took them to CFA for dinner and ice cream as a treat.