Saturday afternoon was probably one of the scariest moments of my life. While driving southbound on 75, a truck slammed into the side of us. It knocked us so hard we actually drove up into it. Our truck then dropped to the ground and the front of his car drug across the side of our truck. The force of him smashing into us caused us to spin. We spun around twice, smashing into two other cars before coming to a stop.
They say in scary moments your life flashes before you. Not me. I was aware of everything happening around me. I remember feeling the truck lift up a little on one side while we were spinning and thinking ok this is it, we’re going to roll. I remember telling myself to brace and hoping Ryder was ok.
Once I finally collected myself and looked around, I saw six vehicles all banged up. Our truck had settled facing oncoming traffic. Not the safest feeling when on a highway. But my husband, Ryder and myself weren’t hurt and it didn’t appear as if any of the other drivers were badly hurt. Lucky for us, Ryder wasn’t really phased. He was strapped into his car seat tight so he barely moved.
While sharing insurance and talking to police, we were finally given the story of how it all started. One car in the far right lane tried to get over quickly to the middle lane and thought they could cut off a truck in time to get over. However she was closer to the truck than thought and bashed into him. This flung him over to our lane casing him to hit us. While spinning, the front end of our truck hit a car and the back end of our truck smashed into the backside of another before coming to a stop. The car who’s backside we hit was destroyed. Her trunk area no longer existed. It was smashed into her backseat. While all this was happening, people slammed on their brakes to keep from hitting us and the other vehicles, therefore causing multiple fender benders. In total there were 11+ vehicles that ended up getting banged up.
Multiple people came up to my husband and said “I thought y’all were going to roll.” The woman who’s back end we hit even said “I saw y’all coming and thought, this is it, they’re going to roll right over my car.” So I wasn’t imagining the lifting feeling and that thought of rolling. We almost did.
I’m so thankful we were in my husbands F250. That thing is a tank. It’s banged up pretty well but not as bad as the truck that hit us and the cars we hit. I couldn’t imagine how different the accident would have been in a small car or even a small SUV. I’ve always been a Ford lover but after this accident my love for them is solidified. I will forever demand (yes I said demand) that my husband drive an F250. That tank kept us safe. With him driving that kind of truck I know he and our children will be safe. I’d sell my car and drive one too if it wasn’t too big for me.
What’s crazy is two of the other drivers had children under 5 in their vehicles, in addition to us having Ryder and me being pregnant. Because of that woman’s selfishness and need to get over and cut someone off, she put multiple children and however many adults lives in danger.
Why are we always in such a hurry to get places? Or to get around, or in front of people? When we rush, we make hasty decisions that aren’t always the best or safest. People think better when they are calm. I wish people would stop trying to rush through life. It’s ok to be 5 minutes late. Especially when it’s your life, and others lives at hand.