A brush with death...

In this article I would like to get a little personal. This past Sunday I had a brush with death that was enlightening. Each time I get in my car I set my intention to drive safely and to avoid those who don’t. I had just completed a meeting in downtown Wilmington and my daughter called me from Paoli, PA. She needed a ride home to Newark after spending the weekend with her friend. I drove out to her friend’s home and picked her up. I had a nice chat with her friend’s parents who have a beautiful farm near Paoli. We started our drive home singing silly songs with each other as we often do.

We came to a stop light in Concordville, PA. on Route 202 just north of Route 1. We were laughing about some of the silly lyrics we had made up for a popular song when BAM!!!; we were hit from behind by a car traveling in excess of 45 miles an hour. The car lurched forward and after we struck the vehicle ahead of us the air bags deployed. We both had our seatbelts on yet my daughter soared over her airbag and struck the side of her head on the windshield. The smell of gunpowder from the airbags was choking and I noticed a fuel leak under the dashboard in the engine compartment. We were bounced around the vehicle due to the multiple collisions and were a bit dazed. The only thing that came to mind for me was to get my daughter out of the car. Her door was jammed so I got out and came around to help her out but she had gotten the door open by herself and we moved to the side of the road. I looked for the driver that had hit us, and someone came over and said they had driven off.

Just then a Mr. Mulch truck sped from the scene and several people thought that it was he who hit me. We later found out it was the driver of the Mr. Mulch truck who pursued the hit and run driver. His vehicle was too slow to catch him so he returned to the scene. I thanked him for his bravery and willingness to help. It was then that Pennsylvania State Trooper Greene arrived and found the license plate and bumper of the car that had fled, lodged into my rear bumper and called it in. Later another trooper found the car with open containers inside and figured that the driver had run off into the woods. The police dispatched the dogs to find him, but to no avail. A gentleman visiting from Ohio was there and advised me what to do. He was quite helpful and I thanked him for his humanitarianism. The fire department arrived and covered the fuel with a retardant as the paramedics checked out my daughter and me. A young fire fighter was exceptionally helpful to my daughter who was in shock and his bedside manner for his age was superior. I wanted to thank him again for his help but the ambulance arrived and we were taken to Riddle Memorial Hospital.

We arrived at the hospital and the emergency staff began checking us out. Dr. Kate stayed with me while I was in X-Ray to make sure my neck was immobilized. The nurses and technicians were friendly and had a great sense of humor. Later, Dr. Grossman came on shift and was very diligent in making sure my neck and back were not compromised. My brother in law and fiancé came up and brought my daughter and me home around 2 AM. On the ride home I kept replaying the scene of the accident in my mind and even though it happened very quickly, I could only see it in slow motion. I would like to offer my sincerest thanks to all of the people on the scene who helped. From the civilians, to the firefighters, to PA. State Trooper Greene, to the doctors and hospital staff; all of you were consummate professionals who did your jobs with awareness and caring. This is no doubt due to your personalities and the training you have received. You took a negative situation and turned into a positive one. The next day I sent thank you notes to all and my fiancé sent a letter to Pontiac for constructing such a safe car. The Bonneville was crushed in like an accordion in the rear and front, yet we survived. Our brush with death was terrifying and we lost our car, but our lives were spared.

Even though I set my intention for safety, we were struck by something that we never expected. Life is a process of handling unexpected occurrences and using your experiences from these occurrences to prepare you for unexpected bumps ahead. Remember, how you react to situations in life are how they affect you. My reaction to this negative experience is one of thanks. With the circumstances in this accident we could have been killed. Yet, we survived due to an awareness of safety and the help of kind and well trained people who jumped in and helped us. They didn’t say, “I don’t want to get involved.” They said “If there is an emergency, I’m going to help.” Again, I just want to say thanks to all of the heroes who step up to the plate and help those in need each and every day of their lives. Their reward is not in the paycheck they receive, it is the service they offer. May God bless all of you!

For more info: Download my free Wilmington Spirituality Examiner toolbar. “Life is a gift. Be thankful for it and it will be replete with abundance. Encourage others to express creativity, release negativity and embrace pro-activity." Dean A. Banks, MCIWD, DD can be reached at webproducer@hotmail.com or banksnet.com. Download my free eBook on Articles 1-10 here.