The Car Accident

I shouldn't be here.

I shouldn't be writing this.

I shouldn't be...

But I am.

After driving my pal ErgoGirl to Toronto's west side where she was staying with a friend, I found myself extremely tired. I had the foresight to pack an overnight bag with me and was fully prepared to stay over, but upon entering the apartment I went into a convulsion of sneezes. The apartment owner had two cats, one of which is appropriately nicknamed Satan. I was more allergic to her cats more than any other cats I have known! Without drugs, I felt that it was probably "safer for my health" if I just went home.

I climbed into my 2001 silver Nissan Sentra SE (aka My Baby) and started the 25 minute drive home. It was about 3:30am. I was on highway 401 going eastbound in the express lanes doing the speed limit of 100 km/h when I found myself getting drowsy. I rolled down my driver's side window and blasted my radio. I then closed my eyes for what I thought was a second.

The next thing I remember was my car careening at high-speed towards the metal guard rail. My thoughts at this time? Simply: "Oh, oh!"

Here's what I think happened:

I smashed into the right guard rail with the front-right side of my car. I spun out and I felt my entire body hit the left door. I struck my head violently against the window. I remember thinking "Ow!". The rear of my car then hit the guard rail again and then I believe I skidded against the rail until the entire car came to a rest facing southeast in the right lane.

As I sat there, I remember thinking "Whoa. I don't like this dream. Am I really here?" Another driver pulled over and called out to me. He asked if I was okay, and then proceeded to call 911 for me. I can't remember what I said, nor what he said to me after that. I managed to still retain presence of mind to move my car to the right curb lane. My car still started. "Wow." I drove it to the curb, all the while hearing crunching glass and metal groaning. It's amazing it still moved.

One of the vultures of the road (a tow truck driver) showed up and immediately hooked up my car. He muttered something to me about things that I just cannot recall. He gave me his coat. I remember shivering quite a bit. I should have not let him take it. I had a CAA membership. Oh well, I wasn't thinking straight. (Then again, I never think "straight".) The other driver, the one who called 911, was nowhere to be found. I have no clue why he left or who he was. Maybe he didn't witness anything. I wish I knew.

The cops came within minutes. I gave them my statement. I was strangely calm and robotic when they talked to me. I didn't realize I was in shock. I just found it weird that I was actually standing there, in one piece. I just kept staring at my car, the guard rail and looking down at myself, trying to make sense of the whole thing. I then realized that I couldn't see properly out of my left eye. In the impact, I had lost one of my contact lenses. Needless to say, it added to the disorientation and amusement factor of the night. "Great. Now I'm blind too!" I think the cops were starting to worry that I was standing too close to the highway because I remember someone yelling: "Miss, could you please stand back?"

I think the cops felt that the current location was not safe enough to conduct an interview so they deemed it necessary to take me to another location where the ambulance would meet us. I remember hobbling with my cane past a large piece of debris. It was my front bumper, with my license plate on it. I recall poking it with the tip of my cane and looking over at where it was supposed to be connected to my car. I remember laughing a little, pained laugh. I think it was then I realized that "my baby" was gone. I sadly let Officer Brown take me to the cop car and he drove to the Leslie GO station parking lot for questioning.

Side note: Cop cars have ZERO room in the back seat. If it's hard for a 5 foot 3 inch girl with a knee injury to get in, I can't imagine how big, burly, biker mobsters fit?

As I was giving my statement, I was extremely honest. I shouldn't have been. Since I've never been in "police situation" before, I was very nervous and asked the police constable lots of questions. I would hate to see the video copy of my time in the back of that cop car. I probably looked like a freaked out nerd. He conducted the standard breathalyzer test. I passed (of course) since I only had a few drinks early on in the evening. I'm not irresponsible that way. Just in other ways. I wouldn't have driven, and my friend wouldn't have let me if we were worried. Okay, enough justification. After the breathalyzer was done, I felt a little relieved. He then asked me to write out my description of the collision, as best I could. I covered my left eye with my hand and I think I wrote: "I hit the guard rail with my car." I probably wrote something more detailed than that.

The paramedics arrived at the parking lot shortly thereafter. They ran tests on me in the back of the ambulance. They told me I looked okay for now, but that I should go to my doctor in a few days since these things only show up later. I could tell that I was starting to relax a little, and be more myself, when I found that I was kidding around and making the paramedics laugh. The absolute best way I knew I was okay? I noticed how hot the two female paramedics were as they were placing heart rate sensors on my body. Even in moments of sheer terror, I'm still scoping booty. Typical Reese.

So it's almost 4 in the morning. I have no car. And I have no way of getting home. Thankfully, when I had told ErgoGirl of my predicament, she called one of my good friends, Macker, to provide emotional and transportational support. As soon as I saw him, I gave him such a big bear hug. He said, "I'm happy that you're okay." I then burst into tears for a long while. My mortality hit me. He was probably THE best person to be there for me at that moment. He just hugged me, and downplayed it with humour. No reprimands. No over-emoting. Just strong, and supportive with some jokes in between. I am lucky to have him in my life. I'm lucky to have my life in general.

Driving home, I realized just how overwhelmed I was. I started to feel a great deal of pain. Emotional, and physical. My head hurt like a bitch. I had forgotten my house keys, and my glasses in my car, so I HAD to ring the doorbell of my house to get in. I was dreading having to explain everything to my folks. I remember telling Macker, "This is a parent's worst nightmare. Having your daughter show up with this kind of news." He replied: "No, it isn't. Having a cop show up at their door, without you, would be."

He's right. (But, don't tell him I said that. *wink*)