I have been looking for some inspiration, to prompt some ideas I can blog about. A few simple one liners that awaken memories or unleash ideas that i can share. Whilst browsing I scrolled through a list, stopping at this one .. “write about a terrifying experience”.. I immediately clicked .. An experience I can share..
It was the night before my last ever day of school. My whole high school experience had only one day left, which is an exciting time. The uncertainty of what comes next, the excitement of going off to university of into the working world was fresh. I had volunteered to stay behind and help out with an event in the school, and my parents came to pick me up. We pulled away at 7.55PM. I remember because the radio was playing in my dads new car. My team was playing and the game kicked off as we drove off. I was in the back left seat of the car, and turned over my right shoulder to wave at one of the schools teachers. She waved back and as I turned back to my left and into my seat, I was met with darkness …
Adrenaline shot through my body like a hundred bullets, I seen my mum and dad in the front seat, spinning uncontrollably, there was another bang and the darkness did not lift. Then everything stopped.
I felt a ringing in my left ear, and turned to see the metal from the wheel arch of the car taring through my seat and pushed into my lower back. Fortunately it hadn’t cut through my skin. The pain in the side of my face, was caused by the same thing that not only caused the sudden darkness, but also potentially saved my life.
30 seconds earlier…
An off duty police officer, local to the area has just pulled off a roundabout and is climbing a small hill. Travelling at only 25 miles per hour, aware that their is both a small hospital and school just over the top of the hill. Its 7.44PM, school is long over, but he remains disciplined at all times, its his duty. There is a loud roar, and in his mirror he catches a glimpse of a shadow passing him. The car passes him as he reaches the top of the hill.. 40mph..50..mph…60.mph…. he looks ahead the car is approaching the school round about.. its possible to go straight through, but anything that could appear from the school would be unseen until the last minute because of the main wall and gates… 70 mph.. Suddenly the grey vehicle is not the only one in sight. Adrenaline…
The door won’t open, my dad is out.. my mum is not. I climb across to the other seat, luckily the door opens and I am out. I walk around the car.. I have ever seen wreck like this.. the front wheel is lying flat on the road, the two side doors no longer resemble doors. Mum ! … We bend the metal of the door and she looks out at us.. my chest has to be very strong to conceal the heart inside beating so heavily. Then she turned, she moves, and she gets out…
That was a terrifying experience.. but what terrifies me is the main few reasons we all survived.
The first is that my dad got bored. Bored of his old BMW. He decided that a new Mazda Tamura was the car for him. One week prior to this incident it arrived. I remember finding the amount of air bags this thing had being somewhat unusual. The first I had seen airbags above every door. One weeks before, my head would have crashed through the window, and my neck possibly broken. Not this week though. The air bags took care of that.
The second reason, my teacher. The metal from the wheel arch did not pierce my back, because I had turned to wave, lifting my body from the seat.
The third reason was the strangest. However coincidental many believe it may be, my mum dropped her mobile phone. Two seconds before the impact, she like me, turned away from the main impact zone to pick up her phone, changing her body shape and protecting her from the main point of connection at the passenger side door. The car actually spun in a way that it connected twice.
I was terrifying to be in the accident, but it was so much more terrifying knowing that my parents were involved, and as helpless as I was. It could have ended so very differently if it was too, A) an act of god B) a string of very good luck or C) some incredible work by the people at Mazda.
Either way all of it could have been avoided, if the 18 year old boy driving his mums car, had just thought about what he was doing.
Drive safe people, not everyone is as lucky as all four of us were.
Blo88er
Blo88er 