Lake Tahoe or BUST

was what I wrote on the MapQuest directions I printed out. We had been looking forward to this vacation for months. It was the first time we would ever be able to attend a family reunion with Brad's immediate family and we were really looking forward to relaxing with family and exploring Lake Tahoe. All last week and the beginning of this week were spent in preparation- shopping for food to eat while we were there, packing and making sure the kids had plenty of exercise before we left.

Tuesday morning finally arrived and we waited for Brad to come home from work (he had only worked a half day). We finished loading all the last minute things, like drinks and snacks and were on our way.

The kids were watching a movie in the back and we were heading North on the I-15 freeway. We had only been on the road thirty five minutes when Brad said, "I've got to get away from this guy." I looked up and to my right saw a pick-up truck hauling a homemade trailer made out of the back of a small pick-up truck. He was several car lengths ahead of us and his trailer was swaying precariously from side to side. Brad changed over one lane to the left and slowed down. We watched as the trailer began to sway even more. In an instant, we heard a screeching sound and the trailer had broken free and was flying through the air. It freaked me out, but I didn't think it was going to hit us when it slammed into the front of our car with a metal against metal crunching sound. "Oh my gosh," I muttered as our airbags deployed and practically exploded against my chest. Brad somehow managed to make it over onto the left shoulder, just beyond the car pool lane and pulled to a stop. I am so thankful he was driving, because he was very conscious of other cars and did not swerve into another car, like I think I would have.

The air was filled with the toxic smoke from the airbags, so Brad rolled all the windows down. The kids were crying hysterically. I quickly unbuckled and turned around to see if they were okay. Tears streamed down my face as I tried to figure out the cries I was hearing. Were they cries of terror or injury? Noah and Amalie seemed to be crying out of sheer terror and they kept saying "I don't want to go to Lake Tahoe," somehow connecting the crash with Lake Tahoe. Gabriel was screaming and I desperately wanted to take him out, see if he was okay and comfort him, but I was terrified to take him out, since we were on the shoulder of the road, cars didn't seem to quite know what was going on, they were slowing down and swerving into other lanes to avoid the huge amounts of debris in the middle of the road, as well as glass and shards kicking up at us. I was terrified someone would slam into us. I didn't know if Gabriel was hurt or not. Noah, through his bawling choked out, "We need to say a prayer. Let's say a prayer." We quickly said a prayer and asked that we would be comforted as a man in military fatigues came over to see if we were okay. A definite angel for us, he called 911 and the police were there within minutes. He even stayed to fill out a lenghty witness report as to what had happened.

The trailer tire is imprinted into the car.

It looks like I am unconscious,but I am just looking down as I fill out the police report.

After about twenty minutes of Gabriel crying, he seemed to be okay. Amalie fell asleep and Noah quickly calmed down. Brad was taking care of things outside the car- making phone calls and taking pictures and such. The policeman asked if we were okay, but I didn't know what to say, because I didn't know. My chest was really hurting where the airbag had slammed into me and I kept crying intermittently so it was hard to breathe. The biggest emotional trauma was just being a state of shock. I couldn't think straight, only could call out random things like, "Call 911!" and "Brad, call your Mom!" and "Call Ian to pick us up!"

Thankfully, after about an hour and a half, the tow truck came, and shortly after my brother Ian came to pick us up. I firmly believe that angels on earth and in heaven helped us through this traumatizing ordeal. The man that was driving the truck with the trailer had pulled off on the opposite side of the road, and then drove back onto the freeway and came over to our side and apologized. That was a blessing, especially as Noah had been really upset about the man who was driving the truck. I guess it's normal to want to place blame. I was a little upset since these are my children and I would give my life for them. I really think it was only by divine intervention that none of us are hurt.
The trailer that slammed into us going ~60-65 mph. We were so blessed that it hit where it did and that it hit us facing broadside.

Ian was so kind and helpful (which is his personality) and it was such a blessing to have someone drive us and take over for a moment so I could just calm down. We followed the tow truck to the body shop and got all our massive belongings out since the tow truck driver seemed to think the car was not salvageable. When we finally made it home three and a half hours later, I was still in shock. But the kids were just fine. Noah immediately jumped out of the car and ran to play with his friends and Ami did the same. I was just in emotional turmoil and all I wanted was to sit in my Mommy's lap and have her take care of me! The accident kept replaying over and over again in my head and each time, I would cry when I thought about it. Still, even as I type this, tears come to my eyes. This was probably the second scariest thing that has EVER happened to me in my life, the first being an intruder in our family van (but that is a scary story for another day).

I am so grateful our family is SAFE. I feel very sure that angels were watching over us and we were blessed and protected. The trailer that slammed into us, somehow ended up on the shoulder of the road, and I am SO glad, it didn't hit anyone else after hitting us. So grateful for airbags, seatbelts and carseats. I just keep thinking about how there were no seatbelts laws when I was a kid. Oh so grateful we were all buckled and strapped in.

Even though I'm sad that we hit the BUST instead of Lake Tahoe, I'm so grateful to be alive. The fragility of life is very present in my mind.

Liquid leaking out of the cracked radiator. Oh yeah, and the car is not even ours. My in laws loaned it to us!