It
happened in a little Northern California town called Meadow Vista. It
was a beautiful bright sunny day at 10am and I was on a rural road
bringing a Christmas present to my best friend before leaving town for
the holidays. It was Dec. 16 1989. What I didn't know is that the sun
hadn't hit a particular curve in the road and though I wasn't speeding
(I had just barely shifted into third gear), my car began fish tailing
as it hit the patch of ice. I was a habitual seat belt wearer and never
put my car in gear until I was buckled. That was true this day as every
day. As my car whipped out of control, I struggled with the steering
wheel but the next thing I knew, I was heading sideways into a telephone
pole aiming straight for my face. I ducked toward the passenger's seat
and within seconds, the windshield was in my lap and pieces of glass
were sprinkling all around me.
When
the rescue crews arrived, they told me that they had a helicopter on
standby from UC Davis Medical Center because they didn't think I had
survived! Though the seat belt is responsible for my broken collar bone,
it most definitely saved my life When
I went back to look at the car later, there was a utility pole dent
right where my head would have been if I hadn't "ducked," but without a
seat belt holding me in place, I also would have likely been smeared all
over the interior of the car! Even my youngest son, who is 16, won't put
the car in gear until everyone is buckled in!
