Cars really are dangerous things.

I mean, we all know that, but I think many of us take it for granted most of the time. We wear seat belts, we drive the speed limit (cough mostofthetime cough), we don't run lights or stop signs, we look both ways before proceeding. But really, how often do you think of how truly dangerous your vehicle is, to you or to others around you?

I had first hand experience in that thought today:

I hit a girl with my minivan.

Yes, you read that right, I hit someone with my van. Now I don't mean I hit another car and had a "car accident"...that would be too easy for me. I literally HIT a girl crossing the street - her body to my van.

Now before everyone freaks out on me, we're all okay, including the girl (or at least she refused medical attention, at least until her mother, who picked her up from the parking lot we were pulled over in, realizes the pedestrian ALWAYS has the right of way). I had the boys with me, and they're fine too. Bottom line is, girl ran out in front of my van, thinking I had a red light at the intersection - I didn't. I slammed on the breaks, but was not able to stop before hitting her. She got right up and picked up her flip flop off the street, and started walking away. By the time I pulled over and got out, she was halfway down the street, ignoring my yells to her.

Everyone had stopped by then, most being at red lights anyway, and they were yelling to me that "she kept saying she was fine, don't worry about it...she ran right out in front of you!". I had no idea what to do. I'm not sure I was even thinking at that point. I turned to walk back to my van and just started bawling. I was sure I was going to throw up, but it never came. I sat down and dialed Big Boss Man's cell number (he was at work and I'd just seen him about 15 minutes earlier), and through sobs and gulps, told him what happened. While we were talking, a woman walked up to my window. She'd been on the bus that had been behind me when driving, but had stopped at the bus stop up ahead of where I pulled over. She said she'd seen the whole thing, and I should probably call the police just in case. So BBM agreed and said he'd call them, and I should just sit and take a couple deep breaths.

As I waited, a couple police cars pulled up, one in each direction - I think they just happened to be passing by, since this was only about a minute after I got off the phone with BBM. One stopped in front of me and asked if I was okay. I told him (also through gulps and sobs) what happened, and he described a girl and asked if that was her. I said yes (odd, the things you remember as someone's hitting your windshield), and he motioned for the other cop (who was sitting in the turn lane at a red light) to go around and pick her up. By the time, the witness was back too (she'd gone to get ice cream from 31 Flavors), and the girl and the witness told exactly the same story...she'd run out right in front of me as I drove through the intersection.

The cops took names, insurance info, etc...all the good stuff. She had a scratch on her hip, blood on her foot from "a blister completely unrelated to this incident", and no other injuries. There is, however, damage to the van, so he still filed a report. They girl left with her mother and godfather, before getting the report number or anything, and she was laughing with a friend (I guess who'd been across the street? I didn't see where she came from) and talking on her cell phone while the police spoke with me and got my info.

I was instructed by BBM to come home and lay down for awhile, which I did. Except I first called the police station to give them my insurance policy number (couldn't find my card in the van), and then insurance to let them know what happened. I'm still shaken, and my stomach is churning. But I don't think any serious damage was done. I will call my OB tomorrow morning and let him know what happened, just in case he needs to do anything. However, if anything changes tonight, I will just go in to the ER. But I figure if it doesn't warrant an ER trip, then I'm okay until tomorrow morning. Here's hoping the scene doesn't keep replaying in my head for too long...I've seen it over and over since I left the accident.

So, the moral of the story is please, PLEASE realize on a daily basis that cars are ginormous weapons, and that accidents can and WILL happen, no matter how proactive of a driver you are. This actually turned out okay, but it could have been so very much worse. I'm thankful that the Lord was with everyone involved today.