On a bright sunny day in June, after a long busy morning of cleaning and cooking, my day had taken a turn for the worse. It had begun like any other Sunday, where I would wake up and start cooking breakfast and then begin cleaning around the house. Then I would get ready and head to church. Unfortunately, I did not make it to the church that day. What happened that day has changed the way I drive and has made me more cautious of other drivers.

I started pulling out my driveway, not thinking in less than ten minutes my life would change forever. I had made it to the busy main road and a couple miles down, then suddenly a blue Chevy turns off a side street and quickly collides right into me. I knew it was coming but there wasn’t anything I could do about it. All I remember is hearing the clashing and crushing of metal. We were in the middle of a very busy road, so some people were getting frustrated about us blocking the street. At this point, people were yelling, honking, and asking so many questions. I wasn’t ready to talk to anyone, but my mom. I just needed to call my mom; I needed my mom there with me. This had been my first car accident driving alone.

“I need to get out of this car,” I thought to myself. A rush of nervousness arose; I then became teary-eyed. I began to battle with the driver’s door trying to get out of the car,  then I felt a long painful sting on my left arm. As I look down I see my arms red, blistered, and beginning to swell. I had no other injuries, just a major headache. I climb over the center console and hope that the passenger door is able to free me from the car.

As I step out the car the male passenger of the blue Chevy sprints up to me and asks, “Are you okay? Are you hurt?” “I’m fine,” I say trying to get the words out through all my tears. There are now people standing around and watching. Some people were trying to help and comfort me as well. I step aside from everyone and try to get hold of my mom.

“Hello?” my mom said. “Mom, this lady ran into me,” I complained. She seemed confused and asked “What do you mean a lady ran into you? Like she ran over you?” I responded by saying, “No mom, I was just in a bad car accident. Can you meet me on the corner of Sanderson and S.W. Capital? Please hurry up!” She was there in less than 4 minutes. I was so worried that my mom would be so upset with me but my mother was more concerned about my well-being than the car.

I look over and see my precious car destroyed. The car I had put so much effort into was now totaled. All of the airbags were deployed and the drivers’ window was cracked. The whole front of the car was demolished and there was some glass shattered from the impact. My trashed car was smoking hard and leaking fluids. I kept thinking to myself,” Why did this have to happen to me of all people?”

“Are you okay sweetie?” asks the older lady, Tammi, who lived in the house on the corner. Tammi had witnessed the whole accident through her home front window. She offered me some ice and bandages for my bruised arms. She comforted me while my mom finished some paperwork and talking to the police. Disappointment and disbelief filled my mind as I sat with Tammi.

After going through everything with the police and the insurance companies, things finally started to settle down. I was shaken up for weeks, so afraid that I'll be in another accident. I begged my mom not to drive every day. I was so scared to ever get back behind the wheel. I'm a much more cautious driver now. This is an event I'll definitely never forget. I often think to myself, “People die in car accidents every day, how did I get so lucky?” It sometimes has kept me awake at night. This accident taught me that things can change in a moment’s time and that I need to be thankful for my life.