January 7, 1998 is a day that will be imprinted in my mind forever. It was the day that my friend, Amber McHale was killed in a tragic car crash. I was the driver of the car and by the Grace of God, I survived. We were on our way to a job interview at a local elementary school in Pembroke Pines around 3:20pm. On the way there I ran a stop sign (that was completely covered by shrubbery) and collided with a MASSIVE FPL truck. Amber died at the scene. I had a number of injuries including a skull fracture, a broken shoulder, and drop foot. I was placed in Memorial Regional Hospital for 4 days. I was very emotionally hurt but physically I healed quickly. The main reason why the accident occurred was that the stop sign at the intersection was totally covered by a flowering frangipani bush and other shrubbery near by. Therefore, the view of the stop sign was obstructed. The only reason that I survived the accident was that I hit my head on the steering wheel after my seat collapsed. This caused me to slide into the front compartment where the pedals were. That along with "angles all around me" kept me alive. I was just trying to help Amber and be her friend. As expected Amber's friends and relatives were distraught. They did not say much to me after the accident happened. They were kind but I don't think they really knew how to express the way they felt towards me. After the accident I blamed myself for a while. However, I finally came to terms with what had happened and realized tha the accident was not my fault. Probably 2 months after the accident, I want to the scene and I noticed how far the stop sign had been moved over in order to be "in view". That was when, along with help from God, that I realized that the accident was not my fault, and I finally stopped blaming myself for Amber's death. I still miss Amber and think of her often. All of my sympathy goes out to Amber's family, and I pray they find peace knowing that Amber is in Heaven.
Photo below is "After shrubbery was cut." Even after this picture was taken they moved the stop sign over to the left 3 feet. Then the picture below that is of my car.
Here is a poem my dad wrote one month after the accident:
Our Toughest Day
By: Earl Johnson On: Februray 4, 1998
It was New Years Eve
It was getting pretty late
For some strange reason
I couldn't celebrate
An uneasy feelin swept over me
As the ball was droppin in NYC
It was just a week later
We were into 98
When we got a pone call
One of ill fate
My woman called me and said to me...
It's our Baby
My heart dropped to my knees
I had been to the hospital
Many times before
But this time it was
Our Baby was
Behind the "Closed Door"
The social worker came and shared the news
Our hearts were crushed that dismal day
A friend of our baby's went to Jesus to stay
It hurt us so, words can never say...
Our hearts were so broken
I began to pray
I wish this never happened
O Lord I pray
Not to us, I began to say.
My Annita is crushed
God help her I pray
When we saw our Kristin
Our spirit's began liftin
You spared our baby
For a special mission
The devil sent a fire
It was straight from hell
God uses these fires
Our family He did weld
The gates of hell were
SHAKIN
But for us it did awaken
Our love and faith is better
That's the reason for this letter
You may think God's No Big Deal
But for this family ~ Our God is Real!
No comments:
Post a Comment