Accident Prone

We were walking home from the theatre with our in-laws the other night when right in front of us two cars collided. It was a shock. We were coming up to the intersection of 12th and Fir, talking, laughing when suddenly time stood still as we watched a blue car slam into a red car that was headed East on 12th. It felt like movie. There was a tremendous noise and then silence. All this happened about 10 feet in front of us.

It was scary and I was shaken up a bit. (For anyone who knows me this shouldn't come as too big of a surprise. I jump when the phone rings unexpectedly. As phones often do.) The police and fire trucks were there soon after and we were all trying to remember exactly what happened. Not that anyone wanted our opinion really. The police were busy enough talking to the drivers and the other people who were in cars at the intersection, but on the way home a debate ensued. Who's fault was it? Who ran the light? Which way were the cars traveling? It was as if all the salient details had evaporated and all we were left with was a vague memory of violent sound and motion.

It was so weird to be debating the facts of the accident when two people's nights were just ruined and we had just stood feet away from what could have change so many people lives for the worse. Just after the accident as Mike, my brother-in-law, picked his way through some of the debris and tried to see if the drivers were hurt. As he was walking across to meet one of the smashed vehicles he was almost hit by another car speeding through, impatiently trying to get past the scene of the crash. This struck me: In the face of a dangerous and nerve-wracking situation people didn't even have the patience/compassion to drive slowly around the wrecked cars.

Thankfully everyone was alright, but the memory of the crash is staying with me; making me think about people, the impatience of the modern driver, and mostly my own need to cover the harsh and difficult things in life with the inadequate band-aids like facts, information and descriptions.