Last November, I made a major mistake and caused an auto accident.  I had been hoping to get one detail clarified, but I don’t want to wait any longer to write about it.

One November morning, I pulled up to a stop sign on a country road.  I can’t remember everything clearly, but I think I waited for a vehicle approaching from my right to pass through the intersection.  I don’t know what was on my mind at that moment, but as I pulled away from a stop sign, I was hit broadside on the left by a vehicle I’d failed to look for.  I was knocked into a farm ditch (which was fortunately dry) by the other vehicle.  After the paramedics examined me, and the sheriff’s deputy had cited me for failure to yield, and my car was pulled from the ditch, I went to see a doctor.  I learned nothing was broken, but I’d be sore for a few days.  When I got my car to an auto body shop, the insurance said it was almost totaled.  Several weeks later, I appeared before the judge and learned that I would have to pay a fine.

All in all, it could have been much worse.  I believe the other vehicle was slowing down to make a turn.  If he had been going faster or if we weren’t using seat belts, I and my passenger could have been seriously injured.  And the doctor was right.  My ribs were sore for many days.  If my car had been totaled, I couldn’t have replaced it any time soon.  And I’m lucky that I was able to get my fine reduced a little.  But I can’t help but think how easier it would have been, how much time and money I could have saved, and how my ribs wouldn’t have hurt if I’d just taken a moment to look left, just made an extra effort to…

Be Safe!