I saw her die, right in front of me
2004-02-03 at 7:55 a.m.
Yesterday, while returning home from picking E up at school, I witnessed a fatal accident.
It happened right in front of me on the county highway, right around the corner from where we live.
A truck in front of me was speeding in the pouring rain. It looked as if he was turning right onto a side street, then he overcorrected and ended up in the opposing lane of traffic. He hit a Ford Focus head on. The poor woman driving didn't know what had hit her.
I pulled over, as did a few others who saw the accident. The driver of the truck got out and was wandering around. He was downright loopy, which I know from having been in a car accident, is a common way to behave. But I don't think his loopiness was caused by shock - I believe he was drunk. He kept saying, "I'm okay, I'm okay, I'm okay.. " Then he mentioned that he had only been reaching for a stick of gum when he lost control.
Certainly an important task to accomplish while driving on a highway in the rain.
He immediately lit a cigarette, then he went to the Focus and tried to lift the hood that was mangled. I can't figure out what he was trying to do. He seemed to show no concern for the woman he had hit.
I went to the woman and asked if she was okay. When I got to her car, I stepped back. I won't share any of the gruesome details, because you don't want to read them and frankly, I don't want to relive them.
She was dead. That's all.
Of all the days for me to forget my cell phone. At least someone on the scene had theirs and called 911. If I had half a brain, I would have remembered to use OnStar or the car phone right there on my rear view mirror. But I couldn't think.
After I saw this poor woman and the state she was in, I left. I was terrified. K later scolded me for not staying and giving the police a statement. All I wanted to do was go home and get my kids home where things were safe and made sense.
I cried all the way home, thinking... that could have been me!! I drive that road everyday of my life. It's the only way to get from our subdivision to anywhere. You can't avoid it. It's narrow, winding, hilly and the speed limit is high.
All day and night, I've been scouring the internet and TV news to try to gain some information, like who this woman was and if the man in the truck was arrested.
The woman was young. She was someone's daughter, likely someone's wife or girlfriend and maybe even someone's Mommy.
That could have been me!!
I haven't had much sleep, because when I close my eyes, I see her, her car and that truck spinning out of control. I keep seeing the tail end of the truck up in the air as it hit her tiny little car.
It snowed last night, so school is closed. I'm so glad. I doubt I could have gone out today anyway.
I'm just still so shaken.