The Accident

Today I experienced something that I've tried to avoid since I was sixteen and got my driver's licence... a car accident.  


Before you get worried I'm FINE, and the lady in the other vehicle was fine too.  Even her car was completely fine.  Not even the slightest scratch in the paint.  My car didn't fair so well.  Somehow I didn't notice that the van in front of me had stopped.  We had just gone through a traffic light, and before I realized the van had stopped it was too late.  I slammed on my brakes, but I still hit her.  The impact made my air bags go off.  That smashed my windshield, filled my car with smoke, made me temporarily deaf, scratched and bruised my arms pretty good, and on top of that they smelled terrible.


I didn't have my cell phone with me because I had left it in the pocket of my coat at my studio.  The lady that I hit let me use her phone to call my Mom who was only about a block and a half away at my studio.  The ambulance, police, and fire trucks showed up very quickly.  Since the other lady was fine they checked me out in the ambulance.  I knew I wasn't hurt, but I was shaking so badly!  It was kind of embarrassing because I was crying, shaking, and really trying hard to keep it together.  Since I hit the lady from behind, the accident is automatically considered to by my fault.  Someone who saw it said that a car pulled out in front of the lady who was in front of me, and she had to slam her brakes on.  I had looked away from the road for a fraction of a second and didn't even see her brake lights go on.  Even if that is what happened, I still get the ticket because I'm the one who hit someone.  It doesn't really bother me, because I realize it is my fault, and I have no problem admitting my mistake. I have to go to court, and they'll tell me what my fine is.  I'm not too excited about court aspect of it. I'd rather just pay and be done with it. Oh well.


An accident is NO fun at all, but there are many things I am thankful for even in the midst of a bad situation.


~First, no one was seriously hurt. That is a HUGE blessing!  Cars can be replaced. People can't.
~My Mom was in town today.  I'm so glad she was close by, because knowing she was here helped me feel calmer.
~A really nice lady stopped and waited with me until the ambulance came.  I don't know her name, but she asked me if I was OK, talked to me, and stayed there. She could have just kept walking, but she didn't.  I appreciated her concern!
~There was no damage to the other lady's van.  I can deal with the fact that it's my fault I wreck my own stuff, but I would have felt way worse if I had wrecked someone else's car.
~My car can probably be fixed, but even if it can't I was planning on buying a new one soon anyways.  Maybe this is God's way of telling me I need that new car sooner rather than later :) ;).
~My Mom has CAA, so it didn't cost anything to get my car towed.  Huge bonus!
~I only live a 15 minute walk from my work, and a 10 minute walk from the mall.  Not having a car for a few days or even weeks won't by that much of an inconvenience.  The exercise will do me good!


On the down side, I can't really tease my sister anymore about the time she wrecked my other car, since now I've had an accident that was my fault :(.