Today I Witnessed an Accident

I have a corner office overlooking a busy intersection in my local town, Farmville, VA.   I usually do not pay much attention to the makes, models, colors of cars or their drivers that go by the window.  I will even have friends or past clients who will drive by and say they waved and I didn't see them.  I am often awakened from my daydreaming or ADD when a siren from a ambulance or firetruck goes flying by.

Today I was on the phone with a client when I heard a loud crash.  I looked up to see a small blue car being dragged down the street by a large white non-descript delivery truck.  I watched in amazement as the truck didn't slow or stop for what felt like forever.  As I glanced at the driver in the truck I was sure that the passenger and driver were switching locations in their seats.

I made my way to the front of the office, made sure tha 911 had been called by my office manager and went outside to check on the passengers of the car.  The driver of the car seemed shaken but not hurt and as she grabbed her small child out of a car seat in the back I motioned for her to come into the office to sit and wait on police.  The occupants of the truck never got out, seaming to sit and wait for what was to come.  The woman checked on her child and called her mom to come and lend a hand.  I held the little boy as she gathered her information and prepared for the police.  She never spoke an ill-word towards the driver of the truck, she commented that it was unfortunately a new car, and she was so grateful that her little boy was in a car seat as he always was.  I was amazed as she described the accident as it happened to her because based on the current direction of her car it seemed impossible that she was heading in a total different direction when hit.

The police moved quickly and professionally.  They had the car and truck removed and ushered thru the drivers in what seemed like a very quick manner.  After all was dispursed the policeman came in to speak to me.  His primary concern was the reaction to the accident by the mother.  He wanted to know when she came in the office how she was, what she said and seemed pleased when I told him that she seemed most concerned about her child and never spoke ill of the driver~even after he clearly totalled her car.  The policeman noted that based on eyewitness reports, the directions of the cars, the amount of damage that it would be impossible to determine with 100% accuracy the sequence of events.

As I sat at my desk and remember how grateful I am for all of the blessings in my life, the young lady came back into my office to thank me for my kindness.  As she left, I realized that today she taught me a very valuable lesson. Today for me that was, remember your priorities, no matter the circumstances.  I send a large thank you to the unnamed accident victim!