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Busy Mom’s Survival Guide Podcast Episode 045.
Our family had a life changing event this weekend when we arrived on the scene of a fatal accident.
In this episode, Jim joins me and we discuss what we witnessed, how we helped, and what we learned. We saw many “everyday heroes” this weekend – people who gave of their time and of themselves to reach out and help complete strangers. God put some truly average and yet extraordinary people at that accident scene and we are proud to now call some of them friends.
How do you react when there are people in need? Are you giving enough of yourself? Are you teaching your children how to help others in need? I challenge you this week to reach out to someone who needs help. Get the whole family involved. And please let me know in the comments what you did. Our family would find it a huge encouragement.
Thanks for listening!
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Dear Jonas family,
I listened to your podcast about the accident this weekend. I applaud not only your efforts at the accident, but your strong sense of moral responsibility to go ahead and share your emotions and feelings on the podcast.
IN the early 1990’s I was in a one vehicle accident in Colorado on my way to Denver National Stock Show with my horses. It had started to snow and I was on the freeway going slowly when someone stopped on the freeway in front of me because they had missed the rest area exit and were actually backing up on the freeway when I came over the hill. The road was icy and I tried to switch lanes hitting a patch of ice in the process. THe horse trailer had two horses in it and the weight acted as an overbalance (tail wagging the dog ) after three such spins, the trailer and my truck hit the edge of the center of the freeway which was divided by a large expanse of grass and a deep deep wide ditch altogether there was about forty feet separating the North and South bound lanes.
At that point the trailer hitch gave way and the weight of trailer and the horses went over the edge flipping the trailer, it coming to rest on its roof with the horses in it. My truck balanced on two wheels before slamming back down on four wheels. I had on my seat belt and although shaken i was not injured. By this time the light snow was turning into a blizzard and fifty feet away from me lay my horse trailer upside down in the ditch with my wonderful babies in it, horses i had dried off at birth raised and loved. I did not know the fate of my horses. Terrified I went down to find out, and I was blessed to find that they were laying completely still, banged up needing stitches but alive. They whinnied at me when i called to them
Now here is the ugly part and why I appreciate what you did so much. This in a time of no cell phones, I was alone, 35 miles from home, two injured horses (not knowing how badly) that were trapped upside down in a trailer. At this time of my life I trained horses and youth, I knew that many people I knew would be coming down the freeway and I could get some help.
I went up to the freeway and frantically tried to flag someone down. NO ONE WAS STOPPING . You don’t know how awful it feels to be standing there watching people look at you while you are jumping up and down crying for help and they drive by. Worst was watching people I knew and thought were my friends roll right on by with their horse trailers on the way to stock show. It wasnt that they could not see me, it was that they were so afraid to miss a class, and didnt want to stop.or didn’t care enough.
By this time a trucker had stopped and called for help, and the firedept and a winch was brought in. A local person from that town was driving by with an empty horse trailer and stopped to offer to take the horses to the local barn . My horses were eventually winched out of the mangled trailer, and bless them they hopped right into this stranger’s trailer and I followed them and the vet to the barn to help the horses.
I had to call some friends to come get them and take them home.
The experience was an eye opener, I had to re-evaluate my friendships with several people I knew. Standing there alone in the snow on the freeway watching everyone drive by and not stop was the most devastating experience. A family like yours would have been such a blessing ..
Several years ago I witnessed a fatal car/bicyclist accident, and only by the Grace of God did I not hit the man on the bike who was killed as he crossed six lanes of traffic. I immediately turned around reported the accident and went to the aid of the young man who was driving the car.
The bicylcist was not alive the moment he hit. The poor young man driving the car was so devastated and I was glad to be there when the police arrived so that I could say no this young man was not speeding and it was not his fault. I was glad I could be there to talk to the young man til his family got there.
It made such an impact on me, I had been on my way to work, but I went home. I would never ever not stop for someone.
Thanks for all you do, You are an awesome family. Why? Because you do the right thing.
God Bless you all
That is awful. I’m so sorry for those experiences. I pray that those people have since had a change of heart. PJ
I just wanted to thank you for the podcast on saving lives. I don’t mean to be, but I’m crying. It really touched me a lot.
When I was 19 and in college, I fell asleep behind the wheel and was in a one car (thankfully – God was really with me that day, because it could have been so, so much worse) accident. The car was totaled but I was fine, thankfully, but the people who stopped – I mean, I never got their names, but they were amazing.
I was like an hour from home, totally freaked out, all by myself. I mean, my car was in no danger of exploding, but the way it was turned (it rolled) I couldn’t have gotten out by myself, so I was so glad for the bystanders who stopped and stayed with me and gave me blankets (it was chilly) and comforted me.
I will never forget their kindness, so I just wanted to thank you for talking about it and thank you for encouraging people to stop and help because it means a lot to me from someone whose been there, even though my situation was hardly as bad as this one, but still, the podcast meant a lot to me. So thank you for stopping and thank you for helping and just thank you.
I’m so glad that you took the time to share. I hope that what you experienced and what we experienced inspire others to be the person to reach out a helping hand. Life would be much better if more people responded in love. 🙂 PJ
Thank you so much for what you did. I graduated from high school with Dennis and Sandy. Their daughter just let us know that Sandy is improving and is out of the wheelchair with the help of a cane. Thank you! Thank you!! Thank you!!!
Linda, I’m glad we were there to do what we could. And SO glad to hear that Sandy is continuing to improve. 🙂 PJ
Has your family heard anymore recent news on the people involved in the accident? Thank God you guys were there. I cant imagine how I would feel in the position your family was put in. i’d like to think that I would be as helpful as you all were during something like this if I ever came across it.
Yes, we’ve kept in touch with both families. They are all doing well and healing physically. For the Godsave family, the emotional healing is the toughest. Denny was a great guy and will be greatly missed. PJ