Account of My First Vehicular Crash

    On March 4, 2009, after watching Marley & Me in the cinema, my bestfriend, Cici and I went to a view point on top of a hill for some bonding moments and also to relax our minds. We are both having a tough year so far. We talked, laughed and teased each other senseless until it was 3:30 AM. I drove her home hurriedly as I was already getting heat from my mom for being out until early morning for almost everyday now. We stopped for gas and lost track a bit as I forgot which house I was going to take my bestfriend. I parked by a corner near her house and before she got out, I gave her a big hug as a thank you for the great evening and the things she shared to me that night. She got out and as she was walking to her house, I drove away. It was already 3:52 AM so I had to drive fast because I wanted to get as much sleep possible  and  avoid getting growled at. When I got to V. Mapa Street, the road seemed clear so I continued to speed up and slowing down only a bit as I pass by intersections. As I was on that road, I remember looking at this place, called Yellow House, and appreciating how odd it looks on a quiet morning. After passing by Yellow House, there’s still one intersection left to pass through before making my turn. I looked to the right and saw nothing, honked my horn as usual and looked to the other side. On my left, I saw this White Vehicle, which at that point I thought to be a taxi, speeding accross from my left to my right. I knew immediately it was bad news. With my mamoth right foot, I stomped on the break pedal with hopes of missing the car. I did miss it…

…but it didn’t miss me. I remember hearing my breaks screech, hearing a huge blow and then feeling a massive force that was pushing me and my SUV (Land Cruiser) to the right. I remember the left side of my SUV getting lifted for a while. It was 3:53 AM.

     When I bounced back on my seat, I looked forward and asked my self “Did what I think happened really just happened?” Then I answered myself “Yep… You are now f*cked!” From the looks of things and what I felt earlier, I really got worried that the SUV sustained a lot of damage on the front-left part. I leaned forward, looked at the white car and saw the driver doing the same thing that I was, looking shocked sh*tless. I was just hoping no one got hurt but honestly, I couldn’t care less if I sustained any injury at that time. I went out and the other driver did the same, we looked ate each other and he smiled, I smiled back. I was glad I wasn’t gonna be in a fight at least. He came up to me and shook my hand. He told me his name is Glenn and I told him mine. We both looked at the parts where our vehicles met, and assess the damage. That’s when I felt I was shaking like crazy. This was the first time it happened to me and I had no idea on what to do. I saw Glenn walking around taking pictures. I did the same. I checked for damage on the SUV but surprisingly, it only got a dented bumper and some scratches. I realized that my left-front tire took most of the impact. Glenn’s car on the other hand, got it worse. The hood of his car is surely bent and I think the headlights were broken. My SUV is tougher than I thought. I was thankful but the ordeal was far from over. I sat back down on the SUV’s driver’s seat. As I sit, the first thing I did was call Cici. She answered, then I said “Kiddo, I got hit by a car!” There was a little panic in her voice but she talked me through it and calmed me down. A reason why I called her up first. After that, I dialed 911 and told the operator where the crash happened. Three of Glenn’s friends arrive. Thankfully, they still weren’t picking a fight. Then a police officer showed up. Yep, It took them long enough. The officer took sketches, asked for our license and registration and told us to meet him in the Police Station. In the station, the officer asked some questions and told me that I was going to have my license taken away. I dreaded hearing that. Fortunately, after some explaining, the officer said I could keep my license this time and just let me go with a warning. I couldn’t be more relieved. Finally, it was time to drive home. It was 5:30 AM.

   On my drive home, i got to think of a lot of things. I thought about the many ways things could have been different that morning. If only I called off the night out with my bestfriend or went home immediately after the movie, I would have been sleeping on my bed by 3:53 AM. But I know I was so determined to having that night out with Cici and hang out with her until morning so calling it off and going home early was very unlikely. Then I thought about it the other way. If only I did 1 little thing differently, the outcome would have been a lot worse. If only I did not stop and gave Cici a hug, I would have left a little sooner and the SUV might have ended up further forward during the crash. That means the car might have hit my door with me next to it and I may not be here right now writing this. I am so thankful that car hit my tire and not my door. Then I got to think about life; my work, my dreams and the people in my life. I got to think about how I want to live my life, the things I want to change and who I want in it. I just know that this could be a second chance for me and I intend to live it better. God Bless you and be thankful for your life.