Getting it in the End

Very interesting couple of days. Yesterday while on our way to find a new pair of shoes for Quinn, a woman in a Suzuki Swift (think Geo Metro) rear ended at an intersection.

Having not been in an accident since 1995, my immediate reaction was to get out of the road. I couldn't see her car, so I looked for somewhere to pull out of the street and out of traffic. When I pulled away I saw that she wasn't going to be able to follow me - the front of her little car was completely accordian-ed. So, I pulled through a parking lot and came up behind her. Checking to make sure Quinn was okay (unphased, my child), I walked up to her, I realized that she had three small kids in the car with her. I suggested we get them out of there and put them in my car where it was safer. Social Worker Mode clicked in.

The smallest child hung onto Mama and when the police got there we were able to move her car into the parking lot and we hung there while the State Police officer filled out his form. I sat and chatted with the kids and had them listen to one of Quinn's CDs.

My car sustained a great deal less damage than hers. Since her car is so small and so low to the ground, its like she went underneath my back bumper. No damage to the trunk or lights or anything, just bumper damage and a bent muffler. I was able to drive home - the other driver, not so much.

All the kids seemed fine, the other driver complained about a little back pain, and Quinn said he was "Dandy". It was an hour or so later that my upper back started to hurt and I got a huge headache. Shock wore off. Thought I'd feel worse today, but haven't noticed it. Chatted with the other driver last night and she is well and the kids are fine.

It could have been a lot worse - had she been going faster, had she been driving a heavy SUV - things would have been much different.

So here I sit, a shiny rental car sitting in the driveway. Quinn decided that he'd rather have this car than ours. Dream on, child. Dream on.