Art was reading an article this morning about a three year old boy on
the Big Island who died after being run over by a pick up truck that
rolled in a driveway. The child had apparently moved the shifter to put
the truck into gear. When the truck started to roll backwards, the
child jumped out and was killed.
It brought back a terrible memory.
It's been over 30 years ago and still sends shivers up my spine when I think about it. I'm sure we've all had similar moments and I know it must make all of us feel as though someone was watching over us.
It was spring, I think. Jon was perhaps about three years old.
Art
and I were busy doing some sort of yard clean up. Our station wagon
was parked facing the street at the top of the inclined driveway that
leads into the garage where there is also a crawl space.
Art was in the crawl space looking for some yard tool. I was in the garage.
I sensed a movement and saw the station wagon rolling down backwards. Jon was in the station wagon looking frantic. I quickly tried to open the door, but he'd locked them and then somehow disengaged the brakes.
So what would a smart woman do?
.jpg)
Try
to save my son, of course. I somehow figured I had enough adrenalin to
stop a rolling car and started pushing the back corner of the car with
all my frantic weight. I remember feeling my feet sliding over gravel
as I yelled.
Art poked his head out of the crawl space, saw what was happening and yelled at me to get out of the way.
I did.... just in time. If he had yelled just a few seconds later I would have been pancaked between the garage door opening and the station wagon since it had rolled down at an angle.
Since the back end of the station wagon was now wedged against the door frame and partly inside the garage, we built a ramp to tilt it away to be driven out.
When I looked into the station wagon, I could see Jon's frightened, crying face. Art used his car keys to unlock the door so we could hug and scold him.
As I gratefully think about the 30 years of health I've had, being able to travel and do the things I've wanted to do with my life, I realize how different it could have been.
And Jon, well.... Let's just say this was not the first or the last of his (mis)adventures.
It brought back a terrible memory.
It's been over 30 years ago and still sends shivers up my spine when I think about it. I'm sure we've all had similar moments and I know it must make all of us feel as though someone was watching over us.
It was spring, I think. Jon was perhaps about three years old.
Art was in the crawl space looking for some yard tool. I was in the garage.
I sensed a movement and saw the station wagon rolling down backwards. Jon was in the station wagon looking frantic. I quickly tried to open the door, but he'd locked them and then somehow disengaged the brakes.
So what would a smart woman do?
.jpg)
Art poked his head out of the crawl space, saw what was happening and yelled at me to get out of the way.
I did.... just in time. If he had yelled just a few seconds later I would have been pancaked between the garage door opening and the station wagon since it had rolled down at an angle.
Since the back end of the station wagon was now wedged against the door frame and partly inside the garage, we built a ramp to tilt it away to be driven out.
When I looked into the station wagon, I could see Jon's frightened, crying face. Art used his car keys to unlock the door so we could hug and scold him.
As I gratefully think about the 30 years of health I've had, being able to travel and do the things I've wanted to do with my life, I realize how different it could have been.
And Jon, well.... Let's just say this was not the first or the last of his (mis)adventures.
Yeah, the terrible what-ifs of life are truly frightening. Glad your story ended well.
ReplyDeleteFrom all the things you've written it sounds like Jon was QUITE a handful when he was growing up!
ReplyDeleteOh he was all right!
DeleteYikes! A true story and one that put me right there with you. Thank heavens it turned out all right, thanks to Art.
ReplyDeleteSo scary, glad you survived Kay, it wasn't your fate to go like that either.
ReplyDeleteI am sure Jon did many more mischievous things but I'm betting he never repeated that one.
ReplyDeleteWhew, Kay -- Oh my, what a scary event! Glad you and Jon have been okay through the years. DrumMajor
ReplyDeleteWe've been OK, but that boy has given me a lot of gray hairs and he's got scars to show for all those misadventures.
DeleteThat truly is scary and a close call. You wouldn't think a car rolling would have that force since in a horizontal plane one could manage to push it. That is an important lesson for all of us. Thank you for sharing and glad the angels in heaven were watching over you that day.
ReplyDeleteL...w
Another thought I had was could it be Art was an engineer that made the difference? How many of us, perhaps more men than women, could have saw that?
DeleteL...w
It really was a steeper incline than it looks like in the photos. The house was a tri-level so the garage was below street level. The incline was enough to cause the station wagon to roll down with enough speed to cause damage to anything in the way.
DeleteOur older daughter threw many a scare into us!
ReplyDeleteSo true--that is one of those stories that makes one believe there are angels (or whatever one wants to name them) watching over us.
ReplyDeleteI did give thanks that day and every day since.
DeleteGrey hairs. I tell my kids everyone I have is because of them. And then there was the time Richard put John in the dryer. Fortunately, wise mommy kept it unplugged except when in use. Yes, it is only by the Grace of our Higher Power our kids survive childhood. Dianne
ReplyDeleteI've always told my son that he was the cause of every one of my gray hairs. I can almost see him rolling his eyes.
DeleteYou have written about one of my secret fears, backing my car over a child in the driveway. They are below the sight line. I always creep slowly when backing my car.
ReplyDeleteThat's not exactly what happened in your case, but it was close enough to remind me. You actually wrote about your adrenalin rush. I've read about mothers who have lifted a car off their child. In my case, I was 13 and weighed over 100 pounds when I started choking badly. My mother picked me up and turned me upside down and shook out the offending morsel. Of course, she couldn't have done that under normal circumstances.
In a more humorous vein, regarding Jon locking the car, a friend of mine got out of his car for a quick errand and left the keys in the car. His dog rose up to complain and do the doggie thing when--click--she hit the door lock and all the doors were locked. Thanks, Fido!
That is too funny about Fido. We tried to get Jon to unlock the doors, but he was so panicked that he couldn't understand what we were trying to get him to do. Even if I had enough adrenalin to stop the car, the gravel under my feet wouldn't give me a foothold. I seriously doubt I could have held the car back though. The incline was too great.
DeleteI'm really glad we have a camera behind our Prius so we can see the back when we reverse. It's a wonderful thing.
a girl I know in middle school had a similar accident. She and her friend were sun bathing in the driveway and her dad came home and accidentally ran over her leg. She came out rather lucky, she's perfectly healthy today.
ReplyDeleteYou mean he was looking forward and didn't see her? That is so weird. Good grief!
DeleteWhat a horrifying incident! Gregg did the same as John when he was a little boy. He rolled down a hill and into a ditch but fortunately was okay.
ReplyDeleteI hope the car survived too.
DeleteWow. That's terribly frightening. I'm just so glad that all three of you were ok. Goodness that sent chills down my spine.
ReplyDeleteI think Art has the cool head in the family that has kept you all safe for a long time now.
ReplyDeleteImagining the what-ifs can be truly frightening. I had a similar incident in the school car park, when one of my seven year old pupils decided to lock himself and a friend in the car, start the engine and drive the car. Luckily no other children were around and the car park didn't have too many cars in it. Thankfully, my head teacher face and voice did the trick and he stopped the car. But oh, what if....
ReplyDeletescary, someone was watching over you....
ReplyDeleteOh gosh truly a scary thing!
ReplyDelete