I wrecked my car today. And Cate slept through the entire thing.
I was taking Greg back to his office after we had lunch with his parents and brother today. For those of you familiar with Murray, I was trying to left onto Chestnut Street out of the BB&T parking lot. Well, meanwhile, another lady was trying to turn left from Wendy’s across the street. Greg was watching to the right, which I was watching to the left. I saw a break in traffic; Greg say a break in traffic. So I pulled out after a pickup truck passed. Apparently she pulled in behind the truck. I didn’t see her … until I was looking over the deployed air bag at her smashed Neon.
I’ve never had a wreck. I mean, I barely backed into a concrete wall once at a gas station. But it only left a minor scratch on my back bumper. And then one time a car bumped me from behind while I was stopped at a red light on Brownsboro Road in Louisville, causing me to gently bump another car in front of me. Seriously, those don’t count.
Today’s counted.
So Greg and I were looking into the air bags. Then we looked at each other. Then I jumped out of the car and looked at Cate in the back seat. She was still asleep. I got her out and Greg took her inside the bank while I talked to the police officer, who was on the scene basically immediately because he heard the crashing sound while getting in his car at the bank. Everybody was OK, but, man, I was shaken. (The other driver seemed about the same.)
My nose feels like it’s slightly sunburned (not really sunburned, but that’s how it feels …) from the airbag and I have some tender carpet-burn-like spots on my arm. Greg’s nose is a little swollen and has a little mark from the air bag. I never questioned why baby car seats go in the back because I’m a play-by-the-rules kind of girl, but I understand now. And that car seat was so steady and kept Cate safe.
I’m just thankful everybody is OK and the only hassles are going to be dealing with the repairs and insurance. A few marks and burns sure don’t matter in the big picture.
Wow — I’m so glad you guys are okay! That is a vicious intersection. Ben was in a small accident with Adelaide in the car when she was about six months old, and it was so scary. Don’t forget that she needs a brand-spankin’ new car seat now — after they’ve been in an accident, you have to toss them and get new ones. The insurance should cover it. (My post on it: http://englishfamilyinthebayou.blogspot.com/2006/03/riding-in-style.html)
So glad everyone’s fine — what an adventure for little Cate!