My Car Accident Was Preordained

I was twenty one years of age and the year was 1987, when I purchased a new ‘used’ car. This new car looked like a brand new station wagon but it was in fact second hand.

Until this day I had only ever owned cars that were not much to look at but as Dad was a mechanic, the cars run better than they looked.

In 1987, I paid more than I ever had before for a car, that both looked new and was mechanically sound. I was so proud of this car, but it was this car that was to share my preordained fate over the coming months.

Three months after I purchased this vehicle, I was heading to work one morning and was stopped behind two or three other cars at a red traffic light. I happened to glance in my rear vision mirror, noted the Commodore stopped behind me. However coming up behind the Commodore was a Holden Statesman and I could see that it was moving too fast. It was not going to be able to stop in time and sure enough it rear-ended the Commodore.

The Commodore was then pushed forward until it hit me in the rear end. Luckily I was able to slam on the brakes to stop me being pushed into the rear of the car in front of me.

We did the usual exchange of details, as no one was injured, and went about our day. I was truly devastated at the large unsightly dent in the rear of my ‘new’ car.

Before I was able to organise the repairs on my car, I was to be involved in another accident two weeks after the first accident.

It was Melbourne Cup Day, third of November 1987. Friends of mine had invited me to the Perth Racetrack that day, for a champagne breakfast and a day at the horse races. But being Miss Responsibility, I turned them down as I had to work that day. They begged me to call in sick and join them for a fun day.

In one way I wished I had taken them up on their offer but then again, my preordained accident would have happened on another day, if I had called in sick.

I drove to work as usual, then ducked out at lunchtime to pick up a personal parcel at the post office.

Only I didn’t make it to the post office — well not uninjured — and I didn’t make it back to work either.

I was almost at my destination when I pulled up at a pedestrian crossing to allow a woman to cross the road. I glanced in the rear vision mirror and could see a Commodore flying up behind me and knew he was not going to stop. I could see the driver was looking out his right side window watching something, maybe a nice looking woman, walking down the road. He certainly was not looking where he was going and he was moving way too fast.

Time slowed down for me and in what seemed like slow motion, I watched this Commodore getting closer and closer, knowing there was nothing I could do. Because I was watching the Commodore, I had no idea where the pedestrian was on the crosswalk in front of me. It was this reason that I didn’t plant my foot and try to get out of the Commodore’s way. Not that I could have gotten enough speed up to get out of its way anyway.

As the Commodore — which was doing 110 kilometres per hour (kph) in a 60 kph zone — slammed into me, I saw the drivers head fly around to look out his front windscreen as if to say, “what the fuck!”

I don’t know to this day if I did the right thing but just before he hit me, I took my foot off the brakes. It was a natural reaction but was it a good thing? I have no idea.

This Commodore slammed into my rear end in the exact same place that the other Commodore had hit me two weeks before. This time though the Commodore did some serious damage.

He shortened my station wagon by three inches, effectively compacting the rear end. The police confirmed that had I been in a sedan, rather than a station wagon, there was a real possibility I wouldn’t have survive.

Luckily I was able to steer clear of the cars parked on the side of the road as he shoved me 100 metres up the road.

I flew forward against the seatbelt and slammed my head into the rear vision mirror. By the time I stopped I had half the dashboard on my lap and still I managed to open my door and stumble out of my car. I was obviously in shock as I felt no pain.

I walked over to the post office — yes I was that close to my destination — and sat down on the steps. That was a mistake as the pain set in and within minutes I realised I was paralysed all down the left side of my body. Neither my left arm or left leg would move when I asked it to.

Without saying a word, the young guy from the Commodore who was totally uninjured, walked over and handed me his details but never said a word.

At this time a friend drove past and stopped because he recognised my car. He took me to my doctor for medical assistance.

After extensive tests it was established that I had chronic whiplash and a lower spinal injury.

The amazing part of the test findings is that it was discovered that I was born with an extra vertebrae. It’s right at the bottom of my spine and naturally fused to what would normally be my bottom vertebrae. It’s for this reason that I was not permanently paralysed.

Although I was told I would never work again, I refused to accept that diagnosis. It was due to an excessive number of medical procedures, operations and rehabilitation that I was finally able to go back to work, nine years after the day of the accident.

I have learnt to live with the ongoing pain and try not to let it affect my quality of living, where at all possible. I mostly succeed as I currently work full time.

I cannot help but believe this accident was preordained.

Factor in the two accidents within two weeks of each other and hitting me in exactly the same way, the only difference was the speed involved.

Then there’s the fact I purchased a station wagon only months before. I’d always owned sedans prior to that.

Plus the extra vertebrae fused to the base of my spine — to give added strength — that I was born with.

They all add up so there were obviously vital lessons I needed to learn through experiencing the accident as I did.

**********************************************************************

If you liked my writing, please click on the small heart underneath, near my name. Or send me a tip and let me know you enjoyed it.

****

Please click the link below my name to read more of my work. I would also like to thank you for taking the time to read this today and for all your support.

If you enjoy this piece, you may enjoy this one too.

Originally posted on Medium