So this blog is supposed to be about the needlearts, etsy, vintage fashion and all things fiber and handmade, but sometimes things happen that are just too important. On my way to pick up my daughter from school a nightmare happened. I was driving down Butterfield Rd., the main artery to our neighborhood and home to two elementary schools, one preschool, and a private k through 12 school. I saw something short with shiny black hair flash in my left periferal vision only to realize that my foot had stomped on the brake a second before my brain registered that a small boy had run directly in front of my car. I had stopped in time but the car coming in the other direction was not so lucky and neither was Angel.
Banged and bleeding he tried to run away but I pulled my car to the side and stopped traffic while the passenger in the car that hit him jumped out and detained him while she called 911. The man in the truck behind the car that hit Angel took over organizing traffic while we waited for the paramedics and police to arrive. He was shaking but tough and swore to us he was OK and that he had looked right and left first. I had squeezed my eyes shut after he jumped in front of my car and I had just stopped. My last vision of Angel was of his head right in front of the oncoming car and I just couldn't look. In another split second I realized that was crazy of me because he was going to need help. I opened my eyes just in time to see him fall and roll beside the car that had hit him. I started yelling out my window, little boy are you OK, are you OK?
Everyone is OK if not physically or emotionally bruised. A very, VERY close call.
What to do:
-School is back. Be careful. Angel said he ran across the street beacause he saw a friend. Young children often act before they think. They are excited. There are kids who are probably learning new routes to walk to school or friends houses. It is up to us adults to make sure they are safe.
-If an accident occurs don't leave the scene even if your's was a close call and you are just the witness. It helps the police and paramedics to put the whole story together.
-If the person/child that is injured claims they are OK urge then to stay and get checked. Angel was bleeding from the mouth. Did he bite his tongue, did he scrape his chin, or, was this an indication of something more serious? Leave it to the professionals and x-rays. Some head injuries are not obviously serious until hours after the accident.
-I got Angel's attention by asking him his age, what grade he was in, did he have siblings, etc., and distracted him from the 911 call and paramedics pulling up. It's really hard but try to stay calm. I think it helped him stay on they scene and not be afraid of us adults trying to help him. You can fall apart later.
-I exchanged telephone numbers with the other woman (driver) involved. It helped us to know we could talk to each other if we needed to. A frightening experience often needs a ventilation process. We were lucky. It could have been worse, but we were still traumatized and wanted to know that we could communicate to each other if we had too.
Drive carefully especially in school zones. School is back, the kids are excited, and not neccessarily thinking about their safety.
That's our job.
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