An Early Thanksgiving for Us

In my August post, Surprise, I described Sawyer's 16th birthday present - a "new" used MINI Cooper.  She immediately named the car "Marilyn" in honor of Marily Monroe.

Tim and I were glad we were able to find a safe, clean, well-maintained vehicle for her first car. 

Here she is in Marilyn with her newly-issued driver's license getting ready to pull away by herself for the first time.

Last night, at about 10:00 p.m., I got a call from a phone number I didn't recognize.  It was Sawyer.  She was on her way home from her school's last football game of the year.  She said, "I've had a wreck."  She told me where she was and Tim and I went straight there. 

While on the way home from the game, another driver turned into Sawyer's lane of traffic, causing Sawyer's right front tire to blow out and her car to roll over and slide down the road on its roof.  The MINI finally hit a curb and righted itself.

 

Tim and I are so grateful for:

• the kind people who called "911" and got Sawyer out of the car.  They loaned her a cell phone because she couldn't find hers.  They stayed to tell the police officers what caused the wreck and waited with her until we arrived.  Though I hugged them repeatedly, I forgot to ask their names.
• proximity - the rescue unit was two blocks away from the wreck, we were five blocks away, the ambulance was seven blocks away, and the police were eight blocks away.  Everybody who needed to be there was there - fast.
• the firefighters, EMT's and policer officers who arrived on the scene were all just awesome!  After they were sure everyone was safe, the firefighters and police officers searched through all the glass inside the car and outside on the ground for Sawyer's phone.  (We went to the impound lot this morning and finally found it stuck in a hidden space in the floorboard.)
• the stability and safety of Marilyn the MINI Cooper.  That car had air bags in places I didn't even know existed.  Marilyn, you'll live on in our memories, if not in our driveway.  You were a good, good car.
• and most of all, we're thankful that we were able to bring Sawyer home with us last night - safe and sound.  She and the other driver walked away from the wreck.  Sawyer has only three minor abrasions.  One on her neck from the seat belt and two on her left arm from broken glass. 

So, yes, we've had an early Thanksgiving this year.