As I drove from American Fork to the doctor's office in Orem, I contemplated the pros and cons of side road construction vs. freeway construction. It was only a little after 4:00, so I thought the freeway would be my best choice, because then I wouldn't have flaggers stopping me.
That turned out to be the wrong choice.
There was a long line of cars trying to merge onto the freeway from the on-ramp when a semi drove past in the merging lane. The ramp is short, and the cars on it came to a complete stop, unable to merge due to the semi. YOU ARE NOT SUPPOSED TO COME TO A STOP ON THE ON-RAMP! But, of course, I had to stop because the cars in front of me were stopped.
The car behind me didn't stop.
You know how you glance in your rear view mirror as you hit your brakes... to check and see if the car behind you notices you are slowing down? Or is that just me? Well, I glanced in the rear view and thought she was stopping, so I turned my attention forward because I was a bit freaked to be stopped in the first place when suddenly, with a loud metal punching sound, we lurched forward! My sunglasses flew off my head as my head snapped backwards, then my whole body surged forward and my head hit the sun visor above the windshield. I had my whole body weight pressing on the brake pedal, but that didn't stop us from being pushed into the car in front of me.
I said a few choice words and pulled off to the side, along with both the car in front of me and the car behind. I asked Helena if she was alright. I knew her head had done the same pinball maneuver mine had; I had seen it in my peripheral vision. Before the accident, she had been reading a book. The book was now at my feet. I was shaking and disoriented. Just moments before I had tucked my phone under my leg, but now I couldn't remember where it was so I could call 911.
Fortunately, I didn't need to. The moment I found my phone I looked through the rear view mirror and saw lights flashing behind us. A patrol car was already on the scene. He must have been just a few cars behind us on the ramp. I was so glad! Only a few moments later, another patrol car arrived. The first officer talked with the second, then drove away. The second was a highway patrol. I wonder if the first was a city policeman and he turned it over to the highway patrol since it was his jurisdiction? I was too rattled to look.
It took quite a while to get to the point when we could go our way again. I won't bore you with a blow by blow. The officer was very friendly and kind. He took care of all the paperwork for us and had us stay in our car. I never spoke with the drivers of the other two cars at all. By the time he told us we could go, Helena's appointment was cancelled and we just headed home.
My soda was sitting in the cup holder when we were hit. Soda went everywhere, which I only noticed after the fact. I found it interesting that the soda can itself sustained such damage!
The back end of my car. The damage doesn't look all that bad, to me, but Bill and Steven both think the insurance company will 'total' the car. Oh, I hope not! I do not want to deal with finding another car. The appraiser came by my school yesterday and took pictures. We should know by Monday whether it is a repair or replace situation.
There is no way she can ever deny she was the one who hit me. Her license plate number is stamped onto my back bumper!
My front license plate is now all bent out of shape from hitting the car in front of me. The damage on the front is very minor. I was shoved into them, but didn't do much damage at all that I could see... if any really. Probably just some scuffs.
So. There you go. Now my back and neck are sore and I have had a constant low-grade headache ever since. I went to the doctor today. He didn't seem very interested in seeing me. He said it was just muscle strain and I should just take anti-inflammatory and rest for a week from my exercise routine. He gave me a physical therapist recommendation. It happens to be Bill's physical therapist (from his bike accident) and biking buddy, Russ. So it is good to already know the therapist. Though I am not thrilled to be off my workout routine. Harumph.
Helena is off in St. George with her best friend, experiencing the Red Rock Retreat... Dixie State College's high school senior recruiting program. Since it is where she wants to go to school, we signed her up for it. Her doctor's appointment is rescheduled for when she gets back and we'll see then if she has any side effects from the accident. Yesterday she told me her back was sore, too. She is young and strong, though, so I'm not worried!
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