failure to yield

So, I'm driving down the street after work, at this white van pulls out in front of me. One second the road was clear, the next there was a white van in front of me. Brakes. Skidding noises. For a brief moment, I think I'm going to be able to stop. A very brief moment. I come to the realization that I'm not going to be able to stop. I think, I'm going to hit this guy.

I hit him.

Everything went black for an instant. As I woke, the radio sounded distant and faint, and an acrid smell surrounded me. I notice that there is a deflated airbag coming out of my steering wheel. And out of the dashboard in front of the passenger seat. With the music now sounding so distant and low it seems like a dream. Then reality sets in. I reach for the knob and turn off the radio. I do a quick mental scan. I open the window to help air out the car.

Where is that van? What happened to him?

I get out of the car to see that he has tried to drive away, and is now 50 yards away in the grass median. He is not going to get away with this. I start running as fast as I can towards him while reaching for my phone to call 911. In the middle of this action, I notice that I am mobile and apparently okay and say a quiet thank you.

After some yelling and chasing the other driver stops and stumbles out of the vehicle. I tell the 911 operator what has just happened. The guy is drunk. Very, very drunk. He can't even speak without slurring and getting belligerent. My right forearm aches from the airbag deploying at 200 miles per hour.

Brent was in his truck directly behind me for the entire thing and is there with me, arguing with the drunk guy. My heart is pounding. I can hear the sirens in the distance. Hurry up. Brent is going to fight this guy if he doesn't stop running his mouth.

The firefighters arrive first. They do their cursory inspections on us. The other driver, almost falls over as he sits down. He's telling the firefighters that it's all my fault, despite them telling him they don't care and it's not their responsibility. I'm silent as I'm trying to collect myself and slow down my racing pulse. My heart is pounding. I sit down and focus on slow breathing. The police arrive.

After some interviews with the police, a signed report, and some small talk with the EMS guys, one of them tells me I'm a lucky man. They're surprised I'm not more seriously hurt. Thankfully I was wearing my seat belt and wasn't going any faster. My car is destroyed.

In the end, the other guy was processed for a DUI and was found at fault for "failure to yield." That's somewhat reassuring, but I am now out of a car that I'm still paying for, and was in fact the only working car that Erin and I have.

I'm immediately thankful that I am relatively okay. My head, shoulder, and neck all ache right now. But I have all my limbs attached to my body and the EMS guys didn't seem to think I had any critical injuries.

I'm thankful that everything turned out the way it did. Things will be alright in the long run. Not having a car may be challenging for awhile, but we'll find a way. I'm going to start with hugging Erin and Kai and Isaac extra tight and telling them how much I love them.