The Kelsey's

Thursday, March 27th seemed like just another ordinary day. I got off work a little early so I could make sure I got to my small group study on time. We talked and as we were leaving some storms moved into the area. I got in my car just as the rain was coming down. I was only about 15 minutes from home so I called Laura to let her know I was on may way. She told me that I had a phone call from Ruby that I needed to return when I got home.

I had turned onto Lynn Haven and the rain was really coming down. The opposing headlights were reflecting off the road and I was straining to see where the lanes were. I knew at this triple intersection, the turn lanes were deceptive and I didn’t want to accidentally drift into one of them. As I looked up from the lanes I noticed the light overhead was green, the one closer was green…

But there was one just above my head that was red! I told Laura, “I think I just ran a red…”

BANG!!

A large dodge grill came into my car just about 6-8 inches from my shoulder. It knocked the phone out of my hand and sent glass showering over me. I looked for the phone in the dark, but I didn’t want to grope around for it because of all the glass.

I looked over the hood of the car impinging on my personal space and asked if the lady driving was hurt. See looked around dazedly and then shook her head no.

A lady came running from across the street pointing at me shouting, “He did it! He ran the red light!” Then she got her composure and said, “Oh, are you hurt?” I was thinking to myself, “Well only my feelings with you accusing me like that.”

When I found the phone (it was under my leg), I called Laura back. I told her that I was trapped in my car. The mental image she had was that I was being crushed in my car. She shouted back at me, “Can you feel your legs? I mean, can you feel your toes?!?”

As the police came up to me, I was having to tell Laura, “I have to go now, I need to talk to the nice officer here.” He took my license and insurance cards and walked off to his vehicle.

Another officer got us out of the road by asking the lady to back up and disengage from my side. She did so and pulled over to the shoulder. Then he asked me to do the same.

My pastor’s wife, who was at the small group with me, was a ways behind me when all this happened. She saw the accident and did a double take when she realized it was me in the front car. She pulled over and walked back and talked with me a bit while I waited for the officer to finish doing his paperwork.

Finally he came back with the other drivers’ insurance information as well as my license and insurance cards. I was not cited, and he told me if my car was drivable that I should drive it on home.

Which is what I did.