Our First Automobile Accident Together...

I am very saddened that the first blog posting from my first week of summer vacation is about a car wreck. I woke up today and will still thinking "wow".  That really happened!

Holland and I went to pick up his go pro camera from Ranger Creek. We were driving back home on Austin Highway and right before the intersection at Perrin Beitel is where it all happened. A F150 started to slowly pull out in front of us and Holland immediately held down on the horn and slammed on the brakes.  Since it had just rained, Bonnet(my Jeep) just skidded and we had no where else to turn to and no other way to stop our vehicle.  The truck never sped up or go off to the side. I really don't think she had a clue of what was going on.  My side of the car hit the leftt side of her truck, so yes in the end we were the ones that hit the truck but she did not yield to us before she turned.

We pulled into a  shady lovely gas station and Holland told me to call for the police. I did not even need to get out to look at my car because I felt the impact and I knew there was going to be something wrong with my poor 'Ol Bonnet. I heard Holland talking to the lady that we collided with and I heard her say "But you hit me!". Then Holland with frustration in his voice saying" BECAUSE you pulled out in front of us when we had a green light!" I told the dispatcher our location and right as I hung up the phone with them Holland looked at me and mouthed the words "Get her license plate number". I frantically went into my car to get some paper and a pen and when I look up and start walking to her vehicle, she is already moving. Holland is fumbling with his phone trying to get a picture of her drivers license plate and then I see him grab on to the back of her tail gate and hop in the back of her truck.

I started yelling "HOLLAND, I GOT THE NUMBER!!!!!!!!!!! But it was too late. She fishtailed and screeched her tires and fled out of the gas station almost hitting another car as she did.

For the next 7-10 minutes I have no idea where Holland is and if he is okay. As I stood there in complete shock I did what any girl would do... call my dad! My phone wasn't letting me make any phone calls because it was still in Emergency mode from dialing the police.  So I went to some strangers and they let me borrow a phone. I called my dad and told him everything and he said "Sheeeeesh" when I told him the part of Holland getting in the truck and leaving.  My parents are out of town so I wanted to get someone with me or to go look for Holland. I restarted my phone and dialed Holland mom and for some reason I immediately started crying when I heard her voice. I couldn't get words out because then Holland was calling me so I told Jayne we were okay, but we were in a wreck and that I would call her back.

I continued to cry as I answered Hollands call and I heard in his voice that he was okay. As soon as I said hello he just apologized over and over for doing what he did. He told me that he got the woman to pull over and they were up the road not too far away. I waited about 5 more minutes for the police officer to get to the gas station.

During this time the people I borrowed the phone from (there were 2 girls and 2 guys) were still there watching me.  I told them thank you for letting me use their phone and they were very kind and said no problem and asked what had happened. Then one of them asked "How old are you?".  I looked at one of the guys who was just looking me up and down and I thought Oh. my.goodness... I really hope they aren't trying to make a move with me and this guy. DID THEY NOT JUST SEE MY BOYFRIEND TAKE OFF IN THE BACK OF THAT TRUCK!?  I told them "26" then I felt very old.  One of the girls said " Can you buy them some beer?" I looked at them very strangely and said " I was just in an accident and the police are on their way, I am not buying you beer." They started laughing and said "okay" and left.

The police officer arrived and I told him everything that happened. He asked what Holland and her were saying to each other before she drove off and I said I had no clue. We drove up to the location where Holland was with the woman we wrecked with. As soon I got out of the car Holland just hugged me and kept apologizing. I told him next time he is thinking about making a move like that he needs to picture my face. Probably an angry one. I told him I was just worried but glad he was okay.

Then I got to hear Holland side of the story.

 When I was on the phone with the dispatcher and Holland was talking with her, she said "Let me get my information from the truck". Holland saw that she had her keys ready in her hand and that was when he mouthed to me to get her license plate number. That crazy lady never intended to give us ANY information. Holland said she had no clue about him being in the back of her truck as she drove on the access road of 410 and all the way back around the Walzem.  He said he was hitting her truck and was yelling "Pull the F*** over". (That stands for pull the Ford over ;)

Once they stopped she told him to get out of her truck and he said no.  Not until the police get there. She started begging "Please don't  do this, I don't have insurance, I am a single mom." Holland said you just did a Hit and Run! You just made this whole situation much worse for yourself. Then she said " I didn't do a Hit and Run, you are still here!" Yes, Holland was still there because he jumped in the back of your truck!!!!!She also told Holland and the police that she left the scene because her father in law owns that shady  lovely gas station and she did not want to make a scene..... REALLY?!

The funny thing about the ending to this story was the woman had insurance all along. The officer gave us her information and told us her version of the story was that she turned and was hit. She ended up leaving when we did and ironically ended up again at that lovely gas station to get gas. I am unsure if she was charged with a Hit and Run or if she was ticketed at all.

In the end of all of this I am trying to do my maybe scenarios. Maybe she is really going through a  hard time. Maybe she needs a drivers ed refresher course. I am doing my best to look at the positive of this whole situation which is that Holland and I are okay. We have no damage to ourselves and with both of those situations we very well could have been in terrible shape.  My poor Bonnet got the worst of it all and in the end she can be fixed.   I was surprised that no one stopped to be our witnesses because that is what really could have changed the end result.  When I made the first phone call to my dad the first thing out of his mouth was " Are y'all okay?" In the end thats all that really matters.

Here are some photos of our girl, Bonnet. She held up and is in pretty good shape.