A Close Call And A Kind Encounter

CONTENT WARNING: Car Accident (No injuries)

Years ago, I was driving to work mid-winter when I started hydroplaning on an on-ramp to a highway. Before I could get control, I hit the grass on the inside curve and went down the hill. My car rolled a few times, pretty sure it toppled a young tree on the way down, and landed on its side on an off-ramp for a different highway that was just below mine.

Miraculously, I was unhurt, just incredibly shaken. I had to climb out my passenger door and jump down because of how my car landed. Luckily, it was still rather early, and not too many people were on the road, but I was still in the middle of an off-ramp, and incredibly concerned.

A car stopped about fifty feet back, closer to the start of the ramp, put their hazards on, and came out. It turned out they were on their way home from out of town and saw me go down. They parked in such a way as to at least warn approaching vehicles that couldn’t see me (although thankfully there were none).

After making sure I was unhurt, they stayed with me as I waited for a tow truck and my partner with their car. They let me sit in their truck for warmth and kept me distracted and upbeat all things considered. I think they ended up waiting with me for almost forty-five minutes before my partner arrived and I bid them goodbye.

Unfortunately, my car was totaled, and I sent a picture of it post-crash to my manager in lieu of an explanation for missing work. But I still think about that family and how they sat with an absolute stranger for almost an hour just to make sure she was okay.