I started to ease over to the right at the 694/35 split on the east side of the cities and felt the back end of my car start to slide. I remember consciously thinking "do not touch the breaks" and "God keep me safe" during this whole slow-motion incident. Across two lanes of traffic, my car swerved and slid towards the right-hand shoulder in the middle of rush hour traffic. My front right tire grabbed some grass, my left tire contacted solid ground right after, the back end of my car sling-shotted 180 degrees into 4 feet of snow. When I came to a stop, I couldn't open my driver's side door... Which is probably a good thing because I don't think I could have gotten out and stood up even if I wanted to. For a couple of minutes (seconds?) I tried to rock my car out of the shoulder. When I realized I wasn't going to get out on my own, I dialed 9-1-1, very calmly said "I'm not hurt, and I think I can drive my car, but I'm in a snow bank on 694." The dispatcher asked me where I was, and thinking back, I must have been a bit in shock since I couldn't figure it out. I tried explaining to her that I could see the exit signs for 694E/35E from where I was sitting, but obviously that wasn't going to help her. She then asked let me see if I can find you by tracking your phone. Se tracked my phone and asked if I was near Edgerton or a bridge, I said "No, I don't think so." After a few more minutes (seconds) of her trying to help me she asked, "are you sure you can't see a bridge anywhere?" Something clicked in me, and I turned around and saw a bridge behind me, I told her that and she said "can you see the name of the bridge?" I said no, but I'd try to see. I realized then that I was still buckled in my seat, when I unbuckled I saw that it was Edgerton (imagine that) and told her. She said she'd send someone out.
After watching 3 sets of snow plows go by, speeding semi-trucks that think they own the road, filing my nails, and drinking my tea, 40 minutes later a tow truck and the state patrol pull up. The state patrol came up to me, asked if I was okay... I said I was a "little" shaky, but that I was fine. He then, along with the tow truck guy, began to tell me how incredibly lucky I was because 99% of the calls that they respond to in that area are cars that have been t-boned. They have nick-named that area "pucker alley" reflecting the damage that is done to the cars.
So the tow truck guys wenches my car out, and then proceeds to tell me that he's going to carry my car up to the next exit for me, and put it down in a gas station parking lot because he didn't feel it was safe for me to get back on to the highway where I was at... Free of charge. After he got done hooking my car up, he said it doesn't look like there's any damage to your car, I'll drive it off the truck bed for you to make sure that it's okay.
Sure enough, we put my car down at the gas station, it works just fine... A little bit of snow stuck in the undercarriage and tires, but absolutely no body damage.
I arrived at work a mere 1 hour late, and sat down and continued with my training class. We got done early, and as I was walking to my car, the shock of everything hit me on how incredibly lucky, blessed, and protected I was. It's pretty much overwhelming.
There is no logical reason as to why
- I wasn't hit by another vehicle
- I didn't hit another vehicle
- I wasn't injured
- my car was driveable
- waiting for a tow truck took only 40 minutes instead of 4 hours
- the tow truck guys very graciously was concerned about me as a person and my safety, rather than just my car
- that the shock of everything that happened stayed at bay until after training
Except that God was involved right then and there when I needed Him.
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