Grace by Which I Stand

AFTER THE SIRENS…

We all react when we hear sirens. In fact, we react with heart-pounding urgency whenever we occasionally hear siren – after siren – after siren – after siren. Some of us even take a moment to pray for those that are in need as well as for the first responders. On that day, police cars, fire trucks, EMT’s and ambulances just kept coming. Although it was close to time for a shift change, the first responders to arrive stayed on to assist those who came on duty later. Already, they were part of all that happened that day. Passersby, who paused to stare at the tangled mess of metal and machine, wondered how this could have happened. That morning, I was up and working early. My son, Trey, needed a ride to get to school early for some help. I threw on my favorite gray sweat pants and t-shirt, grabbed my purse and keys and, for some reason, decided to put on my new diamond tennis bracelet – a gift from my husband – a gift that I would never see again after that day. I dropped Trey off at school and headed home, or so I thought. There was a light but continuous drizzle that morning and I noticed the streets were somewhat slick and slippery as I stopped at a traffic signal. When the light turned green, I accelerated very slowly because of the slippery feel of the road. I remember a dark colored pickup truck coming towards me. I watched as its front wheels crossed the yellow lines on the road, heading into my lane. I distinctly remember thinking, “He’s out of control.” The truck hit my SUV head-on, but slightly off center, forcing us to collide a second time. The rate of speed and impact of the truck, slightly lower than my SUV, caused the truck to slide under the front end of my Expedition sending it airborne. Twisting 180 degrees in midair, it landed on top of another Expedition which had been beside me, crushing it completely. The two white Expeditions, now entangled, were careening forward totally out of control for almost a block. When the tangled wreckage finally came to a stop, my car overturned and hit a brick wall, causing it to tumble down. A video from a local business captured the initial impact. The indescribable sound of an enormous explosion, with spectacular flashes of light splitting the wreckage while dust and debris were flying in all directions was heart stopping to watch. It was difficult to determine which car was which from the video footage. When the dust settled, three vehicles in all – a pickup truck and two white Expeditions – lay in ruins. Bits of metal, glass, rubber and other assorted car parts lay scattered across the pavement covering the road as far as one could see. The street lay still as every motorist stopped in fearful awe of what was happening. An eerie silence fell upon the whole scene, and then – the sirens began….