My Very Bad Day

So, there I was driving along to pick up Zakkai, running a few minutes late when all of the sudden...

BAM!!! If you have ever been in a car accident, you will know the terrible sound that rocks your car and stops your heart for a beat. That almost dreamlike moment when you wonder if it really happened and if you can go back and erase the last 30 seconds of your life.

It happened to me today.

Where my passenger mirror used to be.

Just as I was passing a truck parked alongside the road, the driver flung out his door without looking and hit my mirror. The mirror ripped off, scraping alongside the car as well as his door, causing a lot of damage.

My passenger door that now does not open. Pieces of the mirror are stuck on the edge of the window and there are deep scratches and dents.

I couldn't believe it was happening and glanced over to see the passenger mirror gone. "Oh no, oh no, oh no," was running through my head as I flipped on my hazards and pulled over. I just sat there numb for a couple of minutes before I got the courage to get out of the van.

Continued dent and crack in the sliding passenger door.

Ignoring the passing traffic, I walked around my car only to discover damage along the whole side that made my heart sink. I started crying and my hands were shaking as I called the school to tell Zakkai's teachers what happened so they could keep him there and then called the police to report the accident. I looked over to see the driver of the truck coming towards me. I was so thankful to find that he was kind and thankful that he even stayed to see the damage he caused! He apologized and asked if I was okay since I was crying and shaking.

Dent continued along the whole side.

I opened the sliding door, which thankfully worked, and checked on Eliana to made sure she was okay. She was still sleeping, thankfully. I called Ben, who was so worried as soon as he heard my voice and then we waited for the police. They didn't show up for awhile and my hands and feet were freezing so when the other driver suggested driving to the police station, just down the street, I agreed. I waited until he was in front of me, just in case he decided to run.

He didn't. He waited for me and walked in with me. The report took over an hour to file. Eliana stayed asleep the whole time! I kept tearing up and felt so shaken, as it was my first accident and in our new van!

The other driver admitted fault and I can only hope that his company's insurance company cooperates and covers the damage. Our insurance agent was so helpful and got us into an auto body shop right away. The van will probably be in for about a week while the mirror, door, stripping and handle are replaced and the dents and scratches removed and repainted.

I came home with a pounding migraine and was met with a big hug from Ben and happy smiles from my sweet baby this afternoon. Ben let me go rest for a bit during dinner since I was feeling so bad. Nothing like a day like this to give you a terrible headache!

I am incredibly thankful, despite the damage, that it wasn't worse. That no one hit us and no one was hurt. And so thankful that every person in this situation was so kind from the driver to the policewoman, the insurance agent to the autobody worker and the rental car man.

But it will be awhile before I drive without a little fear when I pass parked cars.