Second Chances

by Danny Jacobs

I never saw it coming. I never expected it to happen. When I looked up, I just heard screaming. I couldn’t prepare myself for the blow and I looked to my right a second before it happened. Then, I was abruptly thrown forward by an intense force with only one thing holding me back from flying though the windshield- my seatbelt.

It’s an experience I don’t like talking or thinking about because it’s a terrible thing to go through. My greatest fear was a major car accident and when it took place this past summer, it became a memory that will haunt me forever.
We were driving back from an indoor trampoline arena in Santa Clara. The group of drivers decided to take 101 North back through San Francisco to stop and get food on the way home. There were three full cars and I believed I was in a car with a cautious driver. Sitting in the left rear of the V6 Passat, my friend, Mark, and I discussed our futures as successful business owners. We joked about how we would achieve success and the amount of money we would earn. Afterwards, it seemed ironic that were in a car accident just moments after we spoke about our future. It was as if God was sending us a message, a signal that we should count our blessings and thank our lucky stars. An event like this accident was unimaginable to us.

We both looked up. I glanced to my right at Mark before we crashed. Someone screamed. The driver slammed on the brakes. My friend, Kenji, who was driving the first car, swerved to avoid a stranded car in the left lane and spun around in our path. The impact struck, and my whole body was thrown into the seat in front of me. The pain wasn’t immediately felt, but, later, the whiplash was unbearable. I could hear the sound of metal crashing and glass breaking. The rearview mirror unhinged and hit me in the ribcage. Other items resting on the dashboard hit me, too, including a heavy book and some sharp objects. The airbags exploded and the pungent smell of smoke filled my nose as I was gasping for air.

I quickly got out of the car. I moved too fast causing the ache from my ribs to be intolerable. I made sure the rest of the passengers were fine including Mark who was next to me in the back seat. He looked blank, as if the accident hadn’t hit him yet. The discomfort in my body was now intense as I sat down on the shoulder of the highway and leaned against the barrier. I frantically dialed 9-1-1. A woman answered the phone and I shouted over the noise of the freeway traffic.

“911, what is your emergency?” the woman asked.

“We’ve been in a car accident on 101 North right before the Cesar Chavez exit.” I replied hastily.

“Do you need an ambulance?” she inquired. I thought about this question. I was aware of the distress that surrounded me; however my thoughts were focused on the others. Would they need paramedics? This was a decision I had to make carefully.

“No. I don’t,” I decided. Even if I was throbbing, my first priority was to make sure the rest of the group was unharmed. It appeared as if everyone was all right; although, everyone was badly shaken. The girls in our cars were crying uncontrollably. I just remember leaning against the curb of the shoulder and trying to stay calm.

After the collision, I remember fewer details. The images are blurry because I could only focus on the pounding of my heart. I was so nervous and scared; I didn’t know if anything was broken or if I was just overreacting. Mark walked over to me and sat down to call his mom. I agreed that was a good idea to let my mom know what happened, too. The phone rang a couple of times before she picked up.

“Hello?” she answered.

“Mom, I’ve been in a car accident, but I think I’m okay,” I said to reassure her.

“Are you hurt? Is everybody okay? Do you need a ride home? Should I go there?” she asked nervously.

“No. Everyone’s fine. I’m in some pain, but I think I’ll be alright. I have to go now

because the police want to talk to us.”

“Okay, well, call me back as soon as you can,” she insisted.

“Alright. Bye.”

While Mark and I were resting on the shoulder, I put my head between my legs in disbelief. So many things were running through my mind. It was about 10:30 PM, and I was wearing only shorts and a t-shirt. My body was shaking from a combination of pain, cold, and shock. The police arrived and set up barricades and flares to warn the oncoming traffic of the accident. The police came up to Mark and me and rapidly attacked us with questions. It was never about our health or if we were alright. The questions were about who was driving and if we were wearing our seatbelts and so on. I wasn’t really paying attention to the officer because I was distracted by the cold and the aching of my body.

There wasn’t much to do except wait around for the tow truck to come and for parents to arrive and take us home. I was speechless, my brain overflowing with worries and concerns. Was everyone really okay? I had no idea how this could happen, let alone happen to me. I’ve heard and read about car accidents but never took the time to actually consider the effect it had on the ones in the crash. Now that I’ve experienced it, I understand how people get so upset. It’s something I avoid thinking about and retelling because I don’t like to think about what could have happened.

The next day, my body still felt stiff. My mother called my doctor’s office for advice. As soon as the nurse heard “his neck hurts”, she said, “Dr. Abbott will see him at 3:00 PM.” After an interview and examination, Dr. Abbott determined that all was well. I could move more easily in the following days, but the image of the crash remained in my head.

It’s a life changing experience and I feel fortunate to be alive. Mark and I occasionally talk about the accident and we both agree that the seatbelts saved us from devastating injuries. But, some good was taken out of this. For one thing, we know the necessity of seatbelts and always remind passengers to buckle up. Second, our friendship and bond has never been stronger. Even though we have unpleasant memories from the accident, we share a connection that most people don’t understand. We avoided another headline: Fatalities on the 101 Freeway. Amazingly, all six people in the two cars safely walked out of the crushed vehicles.