On June 5, I was training a new chauffeur. We drove to many of the usual locations that are part of our comprehensive training program for new hires. We had just left Newark Airport, where we toured the three terminals – inside and out – and then took Route 1&9 South past the Super Car Wash in Elizabeth. I thought of stopping to tour Merck’s campus in Rahway, but instead told the trainee we would just drive by the campus to save time. Was this a mistake? I would find the answer in five minutes. The time was 3:55pm.
We were on our way to the Metro Park Train Station in Iselin, NJ – another training stop – driving in slow-moving traffic on Route 1&9 South in Woodbridge, NJ. I was driving a 2021 GMC Yukon – a vehicle that was entrusted to me just three days prior – and we were traveling about 5mph in traffic.
Shocking Impact
Suddenly, we heard a horrible screeching sound of tires skidding and shattering glass and we felt a shocking impact, as a white truck slammed into the back of us. We were both wearing our seatbelts. The air bags did not deploy (probably because we were hit from behind). The driver of the truck must have been traveling at 40mph when he hit us at 4:00pm.
I pulled the crippled vehicle to the right side of the road and up onto the grass, to get out of the way of the still-slow-moving traffic. The driver of the delivery truck tried to drive it into the apartment complex that was just the next turn off. My trainee and I followed the oil slick he was leaving behind him around to the back of the building complex and found the mangled mess of the truck all the way in the back. The driver had fled the scene.
I called dispatch to tell them what happened and then I called 911 to report the accident. A police officer arrived at the scene within five minutes. He was very professional. We brought him around to show him the truck that hit us.
Mistaken Identity
The police officer asked me if my license was suspended. I told him it was not. Then he asked me if I had a son. I said I did not. Then he asked me if I recently claimed bankruptcy and was behind in child support. I was happy to tell the officer I had not. Although his questions did make me a little nervous.
The officer then told me there is someone else running around Union County with my exact full name who has a warrant out for his arrest! Boy, was I glad to say that was not me!
Honest Mom & Brother
A few minutes later, a woman and young man walked out to us to say they know the driver of the truck that rear ended us. The woman said she is the mother of the driver. She also said the truck belonged to her. The young man said he is the brother of the driver and he saw him after the crash. He said – and I couldn’t believe this – that his brother was slurring his words, like he was drunk. I thanked both of them for coming forward and for being honest.
Lucky To Be Alive
I am lucky to be alive. If the truck hit us a little to the right, we might have been crippled or killed. If we were not wearing our seatbelts, we might not have survived this crash. If there was a passenger in our vehicle, they might not have survived the crash, or been crippled from it.
Ironically, we may have inadvertently saved the life of someone who was driving a small car by absorbing this massive impact. If we had stopped five minutes prior, would we then have been driving by a fatal accident with someone in a small car?
The moral of this Street Story is “Yes, I am lucky to be alive.” But not just because of this crash. This made me reflect on my life, to “count my blessings” and realize how truly lucky I am to be alive. I feel like I have a second chance to be a good person and to be grateful for what I have.
Do you feel like you are lucky to be alive? Why? Count your blessings. Every Day.
