I hate to blog out of order when there’s lots of things that I need to blog about from the last month but this is one of those things that needs to be recorded while it’s fresh on your mind.
I spent the last week in Utah helping Heidi get ready for school. (More on that later.) Jacob and I drove up to Utah on the 7th so we could get some things at IKEA and pick up some of our stuff from my parents. He drove home for class and I stayed for the week. I’d seen a great fare for a one way ticket from SLC to Vegas that I was going to take home. But I didn’t book it quick enough and by the time I went to book it the fare had doubled. Yikes. Because our new car gets excellent gas mileage and Jacob likes driving he said he’d just come pick me up.
We left Provo yesterday (August 15th) afternoon around 4:00. There wasn’t too much traffic and we were making great time. Just after Fillmore we ran into trouble. Jacob had the cruise control on, as he always does, to keep us driving at a steady rate and to prevent speeding. We were driving in the left lane of the 2 lane highway. We began to pull next to a blue mini van that was behind a semi truck. The semi wasn’t going as fast as the van wanted to go so the driver decided to jump in the left lane and pass it. The problem was he didn’t check his blind spot and we were right next to him, I think a little ahead of his back tires. He came over so fast that all I could do to warn Jacob was scream.
He slammed on the brakes and pulled the car to the left, but the car was starting to turn out of control. He came back into the left lane behind the van to try and get control but the tail end was fishtailing. We spun across both lanes and were flipped the wrong way. Just as we might have gotten control the tires hit the dirt on the right side of the highway and the car rolled once into the brush between the highway and an off-ramp. We landed right side up. (This all happened in a few seconds time.) You can see the tire marks in the first picture. I won’t lie, the whole thing was terrifying and I still feel a little shaken.
As soon as we stopped we both started yelling, “Are you ok!? I’m ok! Are you ok!?” We dug through the stuff that had flown into the front seat to find a cell phone and I called 911. We had no idea where we were. (Meadow, Ut.) A few cars stopped and people ran over to see if we were ok. We both felt remarkably calm. Once everyone saw that we were ok, they started asking, “Is this a new car???” New to us. We didn’t have plates yet. We knew immediately that the damage was serious. The back window was shattered, as well as the front (although the front stayed intact.) There were dents everywhere, including the buckled roof and hood. There was some interior damage too.
We escaped the accident remarkably unscathed. I hit my head on something, although we’re not sure what. Either the roof (at a weird angle) or my laptop hit me when it flew into the front seat. (You can see me holding my head in the photo with the officer.) The airbags didn’t deploy, which we think was a good thing. We both got some cuts from the glass- the cut on Jacob’s hand had a chunk of glass in it and bled pretty well for awhile but luckily didn’t need stitches. We decided to go to the ER later that night to check on my head injury but it was fine. Both of us have had some shoulder pain since then.
The policeman arrived, we called the insurance, the tow truck came. The van involved stopped and the driver was extremely apologetic and helpful. We were grateful that his car wasn’t involved as he had his family in the van.
We were towed to Kanosh where Heidi picked us up and took us back to Provo. Mom and Dad got us a hotel to stay in and we were grateful to have a quiet place to rest and think.
As we were told over and over, we were so lucky and so blessed to walk away from this accident with little injury. This could have been so much worse and we couldn’t be more grateful. It’s easy to wonder why the timing worked out this way. Why didn’t I book the ticket when I should have? Why didn’t we leave Provo earlier or later? But we believe that the Lord is mindful of us and this scary experience is a time for us to grow closer together and learn about trials and faith. I get teary just thinking about how much worse it could have been and how Jacob could have been hurt.
From what we’ve heard so far, the insurance figures the car is totaled but I don’t think we’ve heard the official word yet. The next week or two will be a stressful time. But we’re so very grateful that the car is all we have to worry about.
P.S. There were grasshoppers everywhere.
Oh, wow…I’m so glad you both are OK. So scary. (You are good to find some humor in this….the grasshopper comment made me smile.) And I’m glad the van driver stopped.
got goosebumps for you just reading that em! what a scary experience. so glad that no one was seriously injured and that you can walk away from this experiencing only having to worry about how you’ll get from point a to point b for the next couple of weeks.
EK!!! Oh my gosh!! I’m sooooooo glad you are ok!!!!!!! Yikes! So scary!
Oh, Emily!! I am so glad you guys ended up alright! That sounds terrifying. I hope that all will work out with insurance, recovery, etc. I’ll keep you in my prayers.
Emily,
I am so sorry that this happened to you, and I am thankful that both you and Jacob are okay.
There is nothing more terrifying than a car accident. I am so sorry about your new car, too. That is too bad.
I guess the good thing, is that you had your camera there to capture it all.
I wish I had taken photos of my car after my accident this past December. I think I was so shook up and ashamed, but now it’s all fixed, thankfully.
((hugs)) to you!!!
so scary! So glad you are all ok.
You guys are SO blessed!! I like what you said about the timing and how this experience has brought you two closer and taught you about trials and faith! Hugs to you both!!
Whoa!!! I’m so glad you and Jacob are ok!!! What a scary experience. I hope everything works out ok these next few weeks. Love you guys!
Emily! I am so sorry. I know how you are feeling right now. Really I do. Being able to walk away from a rollover makes you feel so so blessed. I am so glad you are ok!!!!!
That is so so scary! I’m so glad that you guys are okay. I can only imagine how shaken up you must have been. Truly you guys were blessed!
p.s. We were in Provo on saturday too!
Oh, Emily! I’m so thankful you’re okay!! So much for all that car shopping? Hope things get sorted out soon!
I’m so glad you’re ok! I would have been so scared! I think you are hilarious to take pictures of grasshoppers after your accident.
Seeing the pictures makes this all the more real on our end. Thank goodness that you both walked away. Such a blessing! Love you!!
Whoa. I’m so glad you are both fine. So scary.
WHOA!!!!!!! I have tears in my eyes right now. I am so grateful that you guys are fine!!!! It really makes you think about how fragile life really is. WOW.
Oh my gosh, I’m so glad you guys are okay! That is so so scary. Someone was definitely watching over you. I’m so glad. Hope things work out with the car, that sucks.
Yikes! I am so happy you guys are ok! I hope things work out smoothly over the next couple of weeks. Let me know if there is anything I can do to help!
Saw your Facebook updates – so happy to hear all is well and that you guys walked away from it rather unscathed, physically. My thoughts are with you this week.
Emily, I’m glad you two are okay! That must have been so scary. It made me nervous and anxious just to read that! Let us know if you need anything at all. We live close.
WOW! So glad you are ok!!
I’m so glad you weren’t hurt any more than you were. That could have been so much worse. I’m glad you were together and could comfort each other after having you scared out of your wits. I hope you don’t have any other issues w/this accident. You’re in my prayers.
Having been in more than one unfortunate car accident, reading your post made me tense up. I’m SO GLAD you guys are okay. I hope you’re both feeling a lot better in the next couple days.
Emily! I just checked in to see how you are doing! Sounds like your life is going about as well as mine! I’m seriously so glad that you and Jacob are okay. Car accidents can be so scary and you always leave shaken and thankful for life. I hope that other than that life is happy and you are loving your new home! Wish Jacob good luck with school from Mark and I. We wish the best for both of you.
That is so freakin’ scary! Did you see your guardian angel? Because they were there! I’m glad you are both well! I totally miss you!
I’m sorry this happened, but I’m so grateful that it had a happy ending. And I’m glad I lived close enough to be able to retrieve you.
yikes…that is SCARY!!!! i’m so glad that you guys are okay, though.
i am so glad you are okay! What a scary thing.
so scary! i am so glad you both are ok & that no one was terribly injured. God is GREAT!! praying for you both as you look for another vehicle. HUGS friend!
I’m glad you’re okay! It was so fun to see you and I hope the accident doesn’t deter any future trips!
holy moly, em. so glad to hear you are ok. and hopefully back in veags. i think you are playing with emily and charlie this weekend. i’ll be home if you feel like coming to a wedding open house!! free cupcakes?
A few things. I am glad you’re okay, but I am sad to hear that you’ve left NYC! Now we can’t faux bump into each other on the street. Where you don’t find out until I get home because I was too afraid to talk to you.
I just noticed on an old blog post that you wanted to know what I thought of the Yudu…my article should be out by the end of this week or next on Craft Critique.com! You can read all about my adventures there
Wow, just read this post. What a scary experience. I hope you’re not having any lasting effects pain-wise. I can’t imagine what it must have been like to go through that. But I’m glad you were both able to walk away from it relatively unharmed. Take care!
Holy Kreike!!! I am so sorry you had to experience that but oh so glad you are ok.
On another note, Las Vegas isn’t New York, but it is beautiful in it’s own way. It does have some incredible sunsets.
Sending you some NYC love,
nikki