A Beautiful story aka miracles in 2007

meredith_e Z7b, Piedmont of NC, 1000' elevation

17 years ago

So scattered today from exhaustion and pain, but a smiley story to share.

My brakes went fully out [old car, well maintained but brakes have more failsafes in the following years]

Basic story is: normal day, errands must be done, drove all over. Right before my house and our uber-helpful flat, empty field across the street, my brakes failed, failed, oh-so`failed.

First was a left turn to a high point and railroad tracks. No cars coming! Fast, though, lol. So cool that it would stop me. Not. Enough of a downward incline right after to really surprise me!

The field was not far. Beyond it, a scary-as-h*ll downward hill in normal times.

Hazards on, folks behind me always acting like idiots because the street is 45mph [read: 60 for these guys]. They don't like waiting for folks to slow down to pull in their drives, so my extra-slowness really bugged them.

The turn was not so bad, but a cement drainage tube got in the way... we made the drive narrow cos you usually have brakes! Oh, no power steering on my car cos it's old.

A large boom, flew due up and due DOWN with a boom.

NO whiplash, broken bones, scary blood. Nada. My back got ouched and my water cup hit the ceiling!

***If I think about where I was moments before, the intersections and kids and cars.... wow!***

So I killed the frame and Ujoints and both right wheels and tires, and all sorts of metal things underneath and things that do steering, suspension, hold wheels on... the car is totalled.

Ah, but everyone is OK! No crashing through houses or red lights or flipping from the drainage ditches all over the neighborhood like a girl did in my yard months ago.

A fine ending, if I do say so myself! The tracks and where the car landed show I was airborn, so that's pretty cool to know... wish I'd enjoyed it, lol ;]

Comments (15)

pagan
17 years ago
HOLY MOLEY!! Glad you are ok! I'll bet you are sore today!
meredith_e Z7b, Piedmont of NC, 1000' elevation
Original Author
17 years ago
Thank yee, I always am wrong about these things.

Sure enough, I have matching big bruises on both arms and one on one knee, doozies! Why don't I ever realize I got mushed around in a wreck? Adrenaline, I bet!

Still NADA compared to the Ever-Present What-Could-Have-Been. I need an amen on this happy ending!

"There were nearly 6,420,000 auto accidents in the United States in 2005." And crash stats go up every year!
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anntn6b
17 years ago
Very glad you are OK and also glad that you have the brains to deal with the situation as it happened.
catkim
17 years ago
Oh, that had to be really scary! No emergency brake either? Glad you are still in one piece!

That sounds like one of those "I can't control anything" nightmares. I have a dream over and over where I put the car in reverse and it goes really fast and the brakes don't work. At least you were going *forward*!!

You should write a book, "The Everyday Adventures of Meredith".
meredith_e Z7b, Piedmont of NC, 1000' elevation
Original Author
17 years ago
LOL, it's not that more things happen, they just take unique versions for some odd reason. I think I serve to illustrate the oddness of statistics, lol, and the book will be called "Born With a Tail and Other Unique True things".

I've never had a speeding ticket and only 1 crash before, hydroplaning.

And Ann, since hydroplaning I'm almost laughably careful. And you met my Dad - he teaches every driving danger known to man to his kids!

I believe the handbrake helped originally towards the tracks but I don't know why the whole story didn't have me petering to a stop then. It wasn't fast as you think of fast past that, but man does it not take as much as you'd think!
kathwhit
17 years ago
Meredith, that is so scary. When you think what could have happened, it is just a miracle that it turned out so well. I'm glad you are relatively ok. Hope no more damage was done to your back. Thankfullness prayers are going up!
Kathy
michaelalreadytaken
17 years ago
I'm happy you're OK! Scary business, eh--it does sound like a miracle.

MichaelAT
michelle_co
17 years ago
OMG!!! Glad you are OK!

You have THE craziest stuff happen to you... I also immediately thought you should write a book. :-) How long is the tail???

Hope you have a calm, restful, healing, peaceful weekend.

Michelle
meredith_e Z7b, Piedmont of NC, 1000' elevation
Original Author
17 years ago
ROTFLMAO, Michelle... they removed it right away! Don't know how long it was and parents too freaked to ask, I guess. Spina bifida occulta, really, and another bullet dodged that I can walk, etc.

Thanks, y'all, for the well-wishes. I feel fine, and I'm so glad all is well, [if strange] lol.
sammy zone 7 Tulsa
17 years ago
Meredith, I, too am so glad you are ok.

Sammy
meredith_e Z7b, Piedmont of NC, 1000' elevation
Original Author
17 years ago
Thank you, Sammy :)

Good Morning!!

The ole back is settling down on its usual course, so no new injuries...[odd how a milk jug or little car crash can have the same rest requirements for a back!] There is a regular ole pulled muscle lower from the bumpup that is fascinating in its regular-pain painyness.

Dad has already secured a champagne Ford Taurus for me!! That's some very good news and kindness as well. Yeah :)
AnneCecilia z5 MI
17 years ago
Meredith! Oh - my - gosh!! I just saw this (we had a extended power outage here due to the recent winter storm) and I have to add to everyone's posts here that I am so very glad you are OK. How scary and what good thinking on your part - I'm just amazed that you can be so lighthearted about the whole thing. You're one tough lady. :-) May you have nothing but good luck with the Taurus.

Anne
melva
17 years ago
Meridith...
I bet it seemed like forever for that car to stop. Glad you are okay.
I drive a champagne Taurus, it is a great car..I hope yours is a good one, too,,
zeffyrose
17 years ago
WOW---talk about scary---

I'm so happy you are OK.

Maybe we should all go back to "horse and buggy" days.

Sounds like a miracle to me.

Florence
meredith_e Z7b, Piedmont of NC, 1000' elevation
Original Author
17 years ago
Thank you, AnneCecilia, Melva and Zeffy! My back stayed down longer after all, but life is good.

Melva, car twins! I have mine now and they are beautiful!

AC, I have nerves of steel during, blubber right after, and then think of how bad it could've been, lol. I'm so lucky! I could've standed it not coming right by the stock market crash with Dad though... oy ;]