So our summer was shaping up nicely, Ben was planning one more camping trip for the boys (locally) and had the day off last Saturday so decided to take the boys fishing in the next town over.. Boys got their chores done the day before just to seal the deal..
They get off and going fairly early in the morning when about an hour or so later I get a call from a number I don't recognize.. I decided to answer it (its a toss up if I don't recognize the number) and its Ben telling me he's just been in a bad accident I need to come to the scene right away I ask him if everyone is OK and He says he said YES I obviously didn't think he was very convincing because I kept asking and even as I was driving to the scene I started getting very worried..
He was less than 10 miles from home and when I drive onto where there is obviously a wreck I stop behind a volunteer fireman's truck pull off and park still not being able to see anything beyond the truck.. I instruct KayLea to stay strapped in the back seat of the car and walk onto the scene..
Now Ben told me it was bad and he told me the truck was totalled but what I saw I WAS NOT what I was expecting to see.. I see Ben's truck upside down resting on the small cab roof.. at first I couldn't believe it was Ben's truck.. the color of the truck wasn't easily recognizable due to me only seeing the under belly of the truck but fairly soon my brain started processing and I got sick to my stomach and started shaking pretty visibly and my knees were giving way at that moment a WONDERFUL woman who had witnessed the whole accident came to my rescue and asked "are you Mom?" I shook my head and she came and held me up assuring me everyone was OK.. as she helped me get to them through the wreck and the ambulance, OH YEA my first visual was of the upside down truck and just behind it (blocking all view of anything behind it) was an ambulance w/ its lights flashing adding to my panic... I see the boys together on the embankment and Ben being treated by EMT's w/ lots of blood and I keep asking this woman everyone is OK??? the boys shake their heads I'm kind of crying kind of yelling wanting reassurance that everyone is OK..
they were thank goodness!
the boys were wearing their seat belts.. Ben wasn't (I know, I know and he knows too) Ben crawled out of the wreck and the boys un belted them selves and were able to get out with little assistance.. Ben got very beat up with allot of cuts and scrapes from not being belted in AND getting out of the drivers side window. the boys had a few cuts from getting out of the car and Hunter was sore from the seat belt and being in the back seat of the cab...
All in all I know and THEY all know they were SO SO SO LUCKY!!!
so I wasn't able to wrap my mind around how lucky they were until we went back to clean out the truck here are some pic's we took
So now you get the idea... so what happened???
So Ben was driving down a 2 lane highway,and a truck coming towards him going the opposite way lost his rear WHEEL, not tire WHEEL! and the wheel was coming towards him heading for his windshield he turned the wheel to try to avoid it and the wheel hit Ben's drivers side tire/wheel and sent him spinning out of control... as Ben was spinning across the other lane of traffic he saw 2 bicyclists and knew he was heading right for them so he turned the wheel the opposite way again making him skid across the street and flip the truck 1 1/2 times then rolling back down the embankment to land on the top of the truck..
I took Ben to the Hospital where he was coded a "trauma" and got all the bells and whistles, CAT scan, x-rays, chest and pelvic scans etc. nothing was broken but he feels like he just did 15 rounds w/ Mike Tyson.. he's been off work since we saw his regular doctor's office this week and they have him off until Monday but coming back in if he doesn't feel like he can do it..
the other guy has insurance we've already started a claim with them for the Truck AND for Ben's injuries.. so fingers crossed everything will work out OK..
thankful list
* Ben and the boys are ALIVE!!!
*Ben is not critically or permanently injured
*the other guy has insurance and so far seems to be covering everything including a rental car
*the bicycle couple were spared, and then ran into action to stay with all my boys to reassure them, give an accurate account of what they saw and call my husband "THEIR HERO" they were sure they were going to be seriously hit..
All in all I can see the blessings in this.. the boys got a good lesson as to the power of God and the promptings of the Holy Ghost, Hunter would normally NOT have been wearing his seat belt in that back tiny jump seat, it is a pain to get on and although we ask him everything has gone with out MANY times (never again!) he knows he was guided to put that belt on!!!
we are just so lucky and blessed and GRATEFUL!!!
So that's what we've been doing this week... how about you???
Ta, Ta!!!
