They say when having a near death experience your life flashes before your eyes. That may have been the case for us last Friday while driving from Utah to Arizona, if it hadn’t been for the large truck that was blocking our view. In fact, it was coming straight at us!
We left American Fork around 8 a.m. and headed home after spending the week visiting family. Wes had flown up to drive home with me, but he was sick (still is, poor boy) so I drove while he slept. Our plan was to follow our regular route (Panguitch, Kanab, Page and home) but I became so involved in a book on CD that I missed the Panguitch turn off. Deep in thought over who was betraying who, and whether or not the hero and heroine would ever survive the Colombian drug lords and have a future together, I drove right by. However, we quickly applied the “This is better” policy and decided to continue on through Las Vegas, a town my daughter, Michelle, had never before seen. Instead of the normal boring trip home, this was going to be an adventure!
And that “adventure” nearly cost us our lives.
Just north of Las Vegas, on I-15, I looked up and saw a large semi truck heading north on the freeway blow a tire. At this time Wes was driving (he took over after I missed the turn:-) and I am so very thankful! I yelled to him to look as we watched the truck careen out of control, go off the road, cross the median (which was a steep hill covered in gravel) come up another smaller hill and onto our side of the freeway. The truck bounced from side to side, and swerved back and forth as the driver struggled to keep it upright.
Wes hit the brakes thinking the truck would pass across the freeway in front of us, but as the driver took a turn north and headed up the freeway in our direction, he pressed his foot hard on the gas pedal, and swerved off to the shoulder of the road, allowing the renegade truck to pass right where we had been. Barely missing being hit head on, we were pelted with gravel and debris for several seconds.
It is interesting to me that while watching it all unfold, I never felt we would soon be the guests at a closed casket funeral. I was totally calm. However, as soon as it was over, the debris settled and we were safely stopped along side of the road, I started to shake. Even days later we are not quite sure how we avoided being hit.
It truly is a miracle we were not killed. It is even a greater miracle that no one else behind us was hit either. The driver eventually brought the truck to a stop leaving only a trail of gravel and stopped cars with terrified passengers in his wake.
We left American Fork around 8 a.m. and headed home after spending the week visiting family. Wes had flown up to drive home with me, but he was sick (still is, poor boy) so I drove while he slept. Our plan was to follow our regular route (Panguitch, Kanab, Page and home) but I became so involved in a book on CD that I missed the Panguitch turn off. Deep in thought over who was betraying who, and whether or not the hero and heroine would ever survive the Colombian drug lords and have a future together, I drove right by. However, we quickly applied the “This is better” policy and decided to continue on through Las Vegas, a town my daughter, Michelle, had never before seen. Instead of the normal boring trip home, this was going to be an adventure!
And that “adventure” nearly cost us our lives.
Just north of Las Vegas, on I-15, I looked up and saw a large semi truck heading north on the freeway blow a tire. At this time Wes was driving (he took over after I missed the turn:-) and I am so very thankful! I yelled to him to look as we watched the truck careen out of control, go off the road, cross the median (which was a steep hill covered in gravel) come up another smaller hill and onto our side of the freeway. The truck bounced from side to side, and swerved back and forth as the driver struggled to keep it upright.
Wes hit the brakes thinking the truck would pass across the freeway in front of us, but as the driver took a turn north and headed up the freeway in our direction, he pressed his foot hard on the gas pedal, and swerved off to the shoulder of the road, allowing the renegade truck to pass right where we had been. Barely missing being hit head on, we were pelted with gravel and debris for several seconds.
It is interesting to me that while watching it all unfold, I never felt we would soon be the guests at a closed casket funeral. I was totally calm. However, as soon as it was over, the debris settled and we were safely stopped along side of the road, I started to shake. Even days later we are not quite sure how we avoided being hit.
It truly is a miracle we were not killed. It is even a greater miracle that no one else behind us was hit either. The driver eventually brought the truck to a stop leaving only a trail of gravel and stopped cars with terrified passengers in his wake.
But the experience did fill us with gratitude. We were left be grateful for yet one more day of life to be lived, to be with family and friends, to laugh and to love and of course to find . . . joy in our journey.
10 comments:
You must have alot more Joy left in your Journey to leave us just yet--thank goodness.
And yes, Colorado is in a state I've never seen it in before.
My kids are just hoping for a ton of snow for sledding. Mr W's plant was closed in Aurora and sent everyone home early. That never happens. Right now tho, it's dry and overcast. We're just waiting!
wow! what a scare. i would be thanking the lord my life every second of that day and every day after!!
by the way..i could never live in Scottsdale either.
I live west west.. and love it!
Amazing the feelings that flow through you after an experience like that. So glad all is well.
Wow! I'll bet there was no sleeping after that! We're headed down to Las Vegas in a couple of weeks. We'll be careful!
Your story made me think of a similar experience, actually I've been thinking about it out of the blue for the past couple of days. For some reason it hit me that we each really do have a mission to accomplish. Accidents will happen and others have their agency, but if we're living the way we should and trying our best, we will be protected if it's not our time to go. Now, we just have to keep up our end of the bargain! Glad you were ok!
SO glad you are all okay!
Lloyd and I are so thankful for the end of this story.
Wow so scary! I'm glad you're all safe and sound. There's gotta be some kind of lesson there- staying on the proven path instead of vering off to the world (Vegas). It'll make a good seminary lesson.
Oh my goodness! I am so glad you are all okay!
I hope you enjoyed your vacation as well!
Xazmin
Those darn books on tape! Thank heaven it was only a scare and not a disaster.
How scary! I'm glad you were blessed to make it through.
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