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Monday, December 30, 2019

My First Accident in nearly 30 years - Ice took a Toll

My girls were so sweet to help me in the yard on Christmas Eve and we didn't quite finish 

Princess Four decided to come home after my family skating party the day after Christmas as she wanted to help me finish the last two piles in the back yard. However, the good weather we had couldn't hold forever so the snow hit and we weren't able to finish the branches. 

Princess Four had taken out six cans full of branches and about five bundles of branches for the garbage men and was so sweet to bring in the cans after the garbage men took all the branches. 

The weather didn't get any better and it was so cold and snowy Saturday that I  didn't leave the house. 

This morning I could see that it was still icy and cold. I headed out to church but worried about the roads so I went very slow. We have a small hill over a canal in our neighborhood and there is a T at the bottom of the hill. I know of 2 people who have hit that wall due to ice on that road so knowing that my car isn't good on icy roads, I decided to go really slow. 

I had pushed on my antilock off switch the other night when it was snowy and I am wondering if it got frozen or something as I was going so slow and kept tapping and stepping on the brakes and NOTHING happened. I tried to hurry and turn but knew I was going to hit as I didn't have any brakes at all. 

Knowing I was going to hit the wall, I thought if I kept trying to turn I was going to broadside the wall damaging the entire side of my car and knocking out a larger portion of the wall. I decided to turn my car into the wall and try to hit it head on. I did worry that if I hit it on any portion of the front of the car that my air bags may deploy and total the car or cause injury to my face but I was going quite slow so I thought that was the best options. 

It is funny that all those thoughts can go through your mind in the few seconds before gravity and ice caused me to hit the wall. Worrying that the air bags would deploy I lifted my arms up to protect my face. I was actually shocked when the air bags didn't deploy but was relieved as well. 

My car was still running, the wall was dented in but didn't come down on the car. I put the car in reverse and was able to get it back a few feet but was stuck in a rut. I had two neighbors stop in their trucks on their way out and about so they pushed the front of my car after I pulled off some of the bumper that was hanging down. 

With their help, I was able to get out and turn the car around and head home. I really think that I had some ice on the brakes as I wasn't able to even push the anti-lock button when I was driving before the accident. I was able to drive home and park with no problem so I think it was a combination of things that caused the accident. 

I got a ride to church with a neighbor and left a note on the door of the home that owns the wall with my phone number. I arrived home after church and spent a few minute unscrewing the rest of the bumper that was hanging down. I did have to cut off a big piece of the bumper that was hanging but the screw wouldn't come out of the metal portion. 

Once I had taped the light plastic back together, I drove to the home where I hit the wall to make sure they got my note. I noticed my note was still in the door so I knocked and they came to the door and let me know they didn't hear anything. She came out and looked at the wall and I told her I got the name of a brick layer and would find out when they can do it and hope it can be taken care of quickly. 

The owner told me that she had two large garden boxes just behind the section of the wall I hit and it I had hit on the side where I was headed, I probably would have gone through the wall and the bricks would have ended up on the car. So, I was feeling very blessed that I hit where I did. 

I am hoping that I can get the brick layer on it as soon as possible. I will try and find some parts at a wrecking yard to replace the ones that got damaged. I think I will be able to replace the light and bumper that got damaged and pray that there isn't any more damage that I can't see.

Please be safe in driving on Icy Winter Roads! 

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