Did you ever see the episode of Desperate Housewives back when Carlos was blind and Gabby took him shopping with her? She made him wait in the car while she shopped only to be busted later by Carlos when he figured out she was only taking him along because he had a handicap placard and she was getting front row parking by having him along?
The Friday on Labor Day weekend we were getting ready to head to the lake to meet up with friends and family for our annual Labor Day weekend camping trip. We stopped off for doughnuts and German pretzels and were getting in the truck to head out. I got into the front seat while Randy was putting Artem into his car seat directly behind me. Randy was outside of the truck strapping Artem in when I heard a loud boom, an engine revving, tires squealing, and felt our truck being pushed sideways. It took me a minute before I realized we had just been hit. I never saw it coming.
To say I freaked out is an understatement. I don't know how I knew it, but I had a peace come over me that Artem was okay but I knew Randy was outside the truck and I was scared that he was pinned under our truck.
After we stopped moving I looked to my right out of the passenger window and saw Randy rolling on the ground holding his knees. I jumped out of the truck and ran to him. He was in so much pain he couldn't catch his breath to talk to me to tell me where he was hurt. I ran back to Artem. I don't know how, but his door had shut during the accident. Thank goodness because Randy only had time to get one strap over Artem's shoulder, nothing fastened, when we were hit. He could have been thrown from the truck. Artem was unhurt but was screaming and crying watching his daddy roll on the ground in pain.
At this point people start running to us from all over telling us that they called 911. A lady brought a pillow to put under Randy's head, someone brought us bottled water, and a woman gave Artem a little package of Gummy bears to distract him from seeing Randy on the ground in so much pain.
I needed to know where Randy was hurt but at the same time I was scared to death to see where he was hurt because I was afraid his legs had been crushed in the accident. At the time of impact, his legs were up against the truck, his knees perfectly even with the nerf/step bars that line the side of his truck. When our truck was hit, he knees took the brunt of the impact and were hyper extended backwards.
During the accident we were pushed into another car and I ran to that car to check on the passengers. It was an elderly lady and she was pinned inside her car. She has just gotten into her car, not even having time to put her seat belt on, when we hit her. I am so thankful she was inside her car because there is no way her frail body would have been able to withstand the impact of our Chevy 2500 Heavy Duty truck.
After checking on my family and the elderly woman, I got mad...really, really mad, and started yelling, "Who hit us? Who hit us?" and started to run to the other side of our truck fully prepared to get into a physical fight with the person that is causing my husband to be writhing on the ground in such extreme pain. I really don't know where that emotion came from, nor did I have a plan on how my little 5' 4" body was going to take someone down, but at the time I wasn't thinking of that. I just knew I was pissed and looking to open up a can of whoop a$$.
I got to the driver's side of our truck and saw an elderly lady sitting in her car with her adult son and daughter in law. They all just sat there and made no attempt to get out and see what or who they hit. Later when the police questioned her she said she just "put it in gear and it took off" but when she hit us I could hear her on the gas revving her engine louder and louder and felt her moving our truck. She never let off the gas, even after pinning us into the other car. She also never came to check on us, never once. Nor did her adult children. Despite the fact that there was a crowd forming around Randy who was on the ground, or when the ambulance showed up, or when they had him strapped to a gurney getting ready to transport him to the emergency room. She just stood off to the side saying, "That car was my baby. I took such good care of my car." And that's all I have to say about her.
In the end, Randy was taken to the emergency room by ambulance and after being examined the doctors determined that nothing was broken or torn. But after a week and a half of rest, he's still in a lot of pain and he had to see a doctor last week, who thinks that Randy's PCL is torn and ordered an MRI, which he had done today. We should have the results tomorrow.
So back to Carlos. The doctor gave us a prescription to get a handicap placard to use when I have to take Randy out. After a week and a half of sitting in our recliner watching TV and playing video games on his laptop, Randy couldn't take it any longer and actually asked me to take him to the mall. I know ladies, I know, prepare for the Armageddon!! Of course being the loving wife that I am, I quickly seized the opportunity to go shopping AND get front row parking!! I now refer to Randy as my "Carlos" and I like to make him speak to me with a Spanish accent while we are out. I'd take my "Carlos" with me on all my errands if I could.
Below are some pictures from the accident. I scanned the accident diagram into the computer to make it easier to see what happened in the accident.
Our front wheels are in the original spot where we started. You can see how far the lady pushed us. See the police car bumper in the lower right corner of the picture? That is where Randy ended up after being thrown by the impact.
Randy's coffee cup is laying where Randy was standing when we were hit. Fortunately the truck threw him when it hit him, rather than running over him.
Our truck was pushed into another vehicle which was pushed out of it's spot and pinned an elderly lady inside.
Our truck pushed across an empty parking spot.
This is the only external injury Randy sustained. I have no idea how he didn't end up with a lot more cuts and scrapes but thank goodness this was all.
Randy's been home on vacation during this time and this is not the way we had planned to spend that time. We were set to return to Abu Dhabi together as a family on September 24th but the truck will take at least three weeks to repair which means I have to stay behind to deal with insurance issues. Depending on the outcome of the MRI Randy may have to stay in country longer for rehabilitation and we have not ruled out legal action against the woman and her insurance company if this accident changes Randy's ability to fly and do his job. Right now he cannot straighten his legs fully or bend them fully and he slowly shuffles when he walks. I'm not sure how he will climb into the aircraft and fly when he has to sit strapped in with his legs bent and use his feet to control the pedals. Basically he's not fit to fly right now and we are praying this will not hurt his career.
Through it all, we've managed to realize how very, very lucky we are that it wasn't worse and we've been able to keep our sense of humor. Randy walks around singing, "Randy got run over by a grandma..." and I think he may possibly be milking this "stay off your feet" thing a little too much, but hey, the way I see it, I've got front row parking now thanks to my Carlos!
Edited to add: A reader commented on my "milking it" comment...what I was referring to was Randy milking it with ME to take care of him so much, NOT with the insurance company or doctors!!! Her insurance company has not even made ANY contact with us and everything so far has come out of our pocket.
