Seconds Away From Disaster Essays - Auburn Hills, Michigan, Chrysler

Seconds Away From Disaster Seconds Away From Disaster It only takes a few seconds to realize how under-appreciated the gift of life really is. I can still remember the exact moment in which I began to understand that life is the most valuable gift that I have ever been given. Never again since that moment have I forgotten how quickly that gift can be taken away. A few seconds earlier or later, a few inches left or right, or maybe just a little less luck could have changed what turned out to be a life-altering experience into a life-ending disaster. It was August 16, 1992, and it was a seasonably warm summer day in the small town of Norwood, Ohio. Nothing led me to believe it would be anything other than a normal day, except for the fact that it happened to be my father's birthday. I was on my way to the store to finish up some last minute errands in preparation for a small party that we would be throwing later. There was one more stop, and I would be heading home to get ready for cake and ice cream with family. By the looks of things, there were not many people out, and there were very few cars moving around town. Other than the cars parked along the sides of the road, it was as if I had the roads to myself. I had been driving for a little over a year, and I had taken these same roads countless numbers of times without incident. I was about to find out, though, that this time would be different. As I was driving along with the top of my jeep partially off and the radio playing, I noticed a car coming in the other direction. I was approaching the intersection of a small side street as the oncoming car slowed to turn. Whether the driver did not see me, whether his judgement was off, or whether he just did not care, I will never really know, but he suddenly turned left in front of me. The only thing that I know for certain is that, in the next few moments, I realized just how much I had been taking for granted. In the seconds to follow all of the stories that I had heard of time slowing to a crawl and of one's life flashing before his eyes during an accident came true. A feeling of pure terror overwhelmed me as I slammed on my brakes hoping to be able to stop. The other oncoming traffic and parked cars made swerving out of the way an impossibility, so I was forced to go straight ahead. Unfortunately, there was not enough time or distance between us for me to stop, and we collided. If you have never been involved in or near a car collision, believe me when I tell you that it is an awful combination of sounds to hear. Squealing tires and blowing horns are followed by a bone-jarring jolt as metal grates, bends, and tears under the stress of the impact. Glass and plastic shatter to tiny pieces as windows, windshields, and headlights fracture from pressure and warping. Those sounds assaulted my senses as I hoped and prayed that somehow I would make it through the entire calamity without any majo r injuries. Finally, my jeep came to a complete stop, and I was flung violently forward. Although the entire collision may have taken a total of ten seconds, it felt as if a lifetime had passed within that time. The front end of my jeep had hit the other car directly in the passenger side door. My hood had crumpled to almost half of its original depth, and the tires were rubbing the insides of the wheel wells to the point that they would not turn. The dashboard had been pushed back into the driving compartment slamming into my knees, and the windshield had shattered. The other car had practically wrapped itself around the front of my jeep like a glove. Luckily, I was alone and had been wearing my seatbelt. Without it, I would have surely been catapulted through the shattered windshield on impact. As it was, I had only slightly hit