I asked her if I should try and make my turn or if I should sit still as there had developed quite a line in the turning lane by then, she advised to wait until the police got there and they would direct traffic, I gave her our names and phone number and hung up to watch and wait.
Doug would later; after the kids we're out of ear shot, tell me what he had seen as he approached that accident. He found himself at the very back of the van with a little girl who he would learn was Amy, and she was 7 yrs old, and she was bleeding and naturally upset and scared and wanted out of the car, but her poor legs had been pinned by the seat in front of her, Doug told her it was ok and that someone was coming to help her, he asked her if the girl in front of her was her Mommy and she said no, it was her sister and gave Doug her name. He was calm, and gave her every indication that everyone was going to be ok, and that help was coming and he told her not to wipe at her forehead because of the glass that had cut her, he watched her wipe blood from her head and tried to comfort her. He could see that the front seat passenger, the Mother, was not responding at all, and that from his view point, he didn't think she survived.
The "something" that I saw being passed out of the back of that van was a 1 yr old baby, Doug said those that we're on the driver's side, had gone mostly unhurt, and that the baby was riding behind the Driver, the Father, and that the 11 yr old boy was also on the driver's side, while the 15 yr old daughter, Mother and little Amy, we're all on the passenger side, the impact was smack between the passenger front and second row seats of the van, Amy had gotten very lucky that she was another row back from impact. You do not know the anguish it has caused us both, but specifically my husband, to have seen the people inside that van, to see the damage done to the vehicle, the damage done to the children, and to feel pretty sure that this little 7 yr old girl, whom he was trying to comfort, had in reality, just lost her Mommy.
My husband cried as he described it, as he looked around and can "see" his own family infused on the faces of this Mother, Father, and four children who could have been our own just as easily.
How fragile life is.
We are both saddened and humbled at the privilege; and burden that this situation has presented for us, especially for Doug who feels so honored to have served, even for a brief moment, as an angel to dear, sweet Amy. God bless her, truly.
We know that all we have to offer now is our prayers, which we have carried quietly in our hearts since this happened. We finally we're able to get some more information this evening and it was not what we had prayed for. Amy's Mommy died at the scene of the accident, and her sister in front of her is in VERY critical condition at PCMC. Amy and her Dad, brother and 1 yr old sister we're all released today, into a world that will never be the same, four children now without a Mommy, it has broken our hearts.
I will be fasting tomorrow; on behalf of Amy's sister, praying that this family won't have a second loss to deal with, asking for God's tender mercies to rain heavily on this family, if you've taken the time to read this, please offer a prayer for this family, I do not know their last name, but I know those prayers will reach them.
