Crash

Last night I witnessed a car crash.

It was the most awful thing I've ever experienced.

Literally slow motion as this car runs a stop light (in my head I'm screaming at this car "slow down! stop sign!") and hits the lady directly in front of me going 45, glass shatters, car crunching, hits telephone pole in a matter of 3 seconds.

I screamed and slammed on my brakes that the contents of my front seat hit the floor.

< it should have been me>

Dial 911

<hyperventilating>

911 what's your emergency?

I just witnessed a car crash

Is anyone hurt?

I don't know I see people moving in the cars.

<do I get out to check?>

Ma'am what happened?

A car ran the stop sign and we didn't have have one and hit the car in front of me.

<fuuudge, breathe>

The woman gets out of the car and by now a few others have stopped, one was a nurse who was checking her pulse, the other was holding her head steady.

<that would have been me on the ground>

Cops and ambulance and fire trucks show up. Someone comes to talk to me since I was the only one that witnessed it. I tell them the details and wait for the woman to be put on the stretcher.

<me on the stretcher>

The cop turns to me and asks if I'd like to stay, otherwise I was free to go.

I start crying.

She tells me it's alright and that I can stay as long as I'd like, and that it's hard witnessing something like that, especially when it could have been me.

Lets back up.

I was in Cape Coral on my way to Kat and Justin's to watch Wisconsin/Ohio state game. I stopped at Publix to pick up some snacks, and was probably there a little longer than I needed.  On my way over the bridge I realize I'm going 10 over the speed limit and scold myself.

I turn onto Diplomat and am following a car that was going the speed limit, if not 44, on any other day I would have easily passed this car, but again I scolded myself for not needing to go any faster, as I was in no hurry.

The car I was following. Is the car that got smashed.

That would have been me.

       

This unfortunately is my rough sketch of what happened. There is no stop sign on Diplomat whereas on 24th, the brown truck, does. He completely ran it.

One of the firefighters said, this happens all the time, and they need to make it a stop sign, or put in a light very soon. Luckily the fire department is very close by.

I can't stop thinking about it.