Be careful out there

On Sunday I woke up at 5:00 am to drive up to NYC (Queens) to attend a special martial arts seminar to benefit someone who had been critically injured in a motorcycle accident. She had spent three months in the hospital with a fractured pelvis and cerebral injuries. She's making a remarkable recovery fortunately, but a slight misalignment of her eyes, some broken teeth, and a cautious gait were a reminder of how serious her injuries had been.

On my way up, while driving on the New Jersey Turnpike through a heavy rain early in the morning, I watched as the car in front of me made a sharp turn to the right, then skidded out of control, spun off the road, knocked over a streetlight and disappeared over an embankment. I called 911 but there was no way I could turn around to check on the driver.

On my way back from the seminar, I saw a thick plume of dark smoke off to the left side of I-95. A Greyhound bus was engulfed in flame. The fire must have just occured because traffic was still speeding by the bus, and it looked like the police and fire fighters had hardly arrived. As I drove by in the other direction, I snapped the picture above out my driver's side window. I could feel the heat on my face even though I was five lanes away.

The whole day seemed surreal and frightening, so it was a real relief to arrive home safely that night. Thinking about the randomness of the three accidents has made me realize how lucky Tricia, the boys and I are to be alive and healthy and safe.