Update on Accident

This has been one of the most exhausting days mentally that I have ever had. I'm looking forward to taking a hot bath and crawling into bed after this entry.

First of all my nieces are both fine... injured, but fine. Everyone in my ex brother in law's van was injured in the accident, but treated and released from the hospital. All are at home resting and trying to deal with what happened today. There was another vehicle involved and apparently they weren't injured, but their vehicle is also totalled. Sadly, the man who ran the stop sign did not make it. What we know now is that it's very likely he had a heart attack at the wheel.

The accident happened about 20-25 minutes from my ex brother in law's house, and about 15 minutes from my sister's house. Several lucky events saved their lives this morning. One is that they invited my ex brother in law's nephew at the last minute. That is the only reason they took their van. Otherwise they would have taken their car and someone may have been injured much worse, possibly fatally. Another lucky event is that the impact was not on the side of the vehicle. And yet another is when they were careening across the intersection they just missed a pole which could have split the van in half.

My brother in law's nephew was driving which I found out later. He was proceeding through the intersection when he realized the man coming from the other direction was coming quick and wasn't stopping for the sign. He attempted to stop and avoid hitting him, and my brother in law tried to take control and stop. They caught the back of the car and spun out of control hitting a truck pulling a horse trailer and then careened across the intersection. The man spun and ended up through the intersection stopping by the truck and trailer. The people in the truck were stopped at the sign.

The people in the truck were not injured but their truck is totalled because the frame is busted or bent out of whack and their engine is pushed back. The man's carhad the back end ripped off more or less. My ex brother in law's van has the front end and engine pushed back through the firewall and into the dash and no windshield. So all vehicles are totalled. The truck with the trailer doesn't look bad in the photos, but what do I know.

As for injuries, my ex brother in law has sprained ankles. Nothing broken amazingly. His nephew has burns from the air bag exploding and the seat belt cutting in as well as some cuts and bruises. My 11 year old niece has cuts in her legs from the seat belt, a cut on her neck down to her chest from the seat belt, burns from the seat belt, bumps and bruises, and a sprained arm. My 15 year old niece has a sprained neck, a bump on the head, bumps and bruises, seatbelt burns, and her stomach is fine. Her discomfort was nerves and probably the seat belt might have dug in. Their step sister has a cut on her neck from the seat belt, burns from the seat belt, and is just shook up. Their step mom injured her back and was in the hospital the longest for tests. She is unable to walk. They have determined she can walk, but is just in too much pain. They gave her pain pills and muscle relaxers, and sent her home.

When the man's wife found out that he hit a van with children in it she came to the hospital. She had to see all of the kids for herself and make sure they were okay. She was so sorry that their day was ruined. My sister said this woman is the strongest woman she ever met! She said this woman did not shed one tear for her husband, but was only concerned that he had hurt some children. My sister is worried for her, as am I. I only hope that when the reality of losing her husband sets in, that her grief is not overwhelming and that her pain is not relentless.

Thank you Betty, Missie, and Michelle for your comments and for the prayers. Please pray now for this man's soul that he may rest in peace. And for his family so that they can find peace, grieve healthy, adjust to life without their loved one, and not feel guilt over what happened.