Forced Refocus

It is amazing how a second can change your perspective.

I guess we all have these 'seconds' but I thought I would memorialize mine.

Yesterday afternoon I took a late lunch to pick up Aaron and Christian from the Middle School and take them home. Given that the weather was bad (thunderstorm and tornado warnings) with high winds Mary and I decided that I would take them to the mall to hang out with her while she worked at Starbucks.

As we left the school parking lot I reminded the boys that they should put their seat belts on (Thank God!).

We turned off of Route 40 to go down the hill towards the mall. At the second light, which was green, an oncoming van turned left to enter the interstate on-ramp without yielding to us. I attempted to brake and thought we might get stopped but apparently cinders on the road or just sliding caused us to impact the passenger side of the vehicle. The airbags deployed and the car began filling with smoke. I apparently turned off the engine immediately and checked on the boys. They were both okay. I asked them to step outside of the vehicle but not to leave the side of the van (due to us being in a very busy intersection). Aaron had to kick open the passenger door to get out. I went around the van and got the boys and we walked to the road-side. I then returned to the other vehicle to ask the driver if she was okay. She stated she was but that her leg (left I believe) was hurting her. At this point a fantastic good Samaritan approached me and asked if she need to call the police. I asked her to do so. I then asked the other drive to turn off her vehicle as the noise of the engine was getting progressively worse. She did.

I heard someone say "Mr. Perkins" and turned to see Diane Slavic. She asked if she could get the boys somewhere. What a blessing. She took them on to the mall to meet up with Mary. Afterwards I thought I probably should have had them observed by the emergency personnel but at the time I thought getting them away from the traffic in the intersection was best.

I then called Mary and let her know what was going on.

At this point the emergency personnel began arriving. I knew two of the first responders (Mr. Saffel and Mr. Summers). The person who worked with me convinced me to go to the hospital for evaluation and before I knew it I was on the road in the emergency car. My hands were badly bruised (no breaks though per the x-rays) and my knees were banged up on the dashboard. Overall, I am fine.

The oddest part of this was being taken away from the scene having only provided my name and phone # to the emergency personnel. When Mary joined me at the hospital (what an incredible loving wife) I couldn't tell her who else was involved in the accident, how she was, where the van was, anything. Crazy. Today I'm trying to piece all that together. I found the van (pictures below) and I am playing phone tag with the State Police Officer who is investigating the crash.

Oi.

Thank God for the many angels I encountered today. Thank God for the health of my children and the other driver. Thank God for my caring wife. Thank God.