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| Tragic! |
We live on a county road that is fairly well traveled and highly dangerous. The speed limit is 45 MPH and the road is curvy and dark. People speed down this road at speeds well in excess of the posted limit. When I drive 45 MPH I am usually holding up traffic. I don't care. In the 14 months that we have lived in our amazing home, there have been 3 accidents right in front of our house. The first accident took out our mailbox. The second accident took out my two neighbor's boxes. Last night I woke up to a terrible accident about 11:30 PM. The aftermath you can see above. The traffic on the road is the only drawback to what is otherwise, an amazing home, beautiful piece of land, and lovely neighborhood. The total disregard so many people have for other people is clear every single day as I watch people drive like maniacs down this road.
This building above was converted from a BBQ joint to an office complex. The owners spent months redoing everything from electrical, doors, windows, and the exterior of the building itself. A lot of time and money was put into this place to make it a nice little quiet office complex. Last night a very large SUV lost control and crashed into the building. Now, as far as I could tell, the driver was okay. I could see from my living room the EMS tending to him and checking him for head injury. I am assuming that he was taken to the hospital for testing and Blood Alcohol Levels tests to determine if he was drunk or just careless.
Here are the facts, there are several young children who live in our neighborhood. They play in their front yards. They climb trees. They have lemonade stands. They are kids. The way people drive down the county road with blatant disregard for other people's property and lives is insane. Just for me to get my mail from my mailbox takes timing and a lot of effort on my part not to get hit. The day our mailbox was struck, I had been at the box no more than 30 seconds before. Had I left my house just a minute later, I would have been struck by the truck that took out my mailbox. The person who did the damage left without even a glance back. I was on my way to check on them to make sure they were not injured when they peeled out and took off. Over a $20 mailbox!
Now, I have a unique perspective as I have been an auto claims adjuster or manager for 18 years in the state of Texas. I know what a moment of distraction can do. I have seen the injuries and deaths that result. I have had the displeasure of talking to the survivors and the family of deceased.
I am asking everyone to think for just a moment about the fact that you are traveling at high rates of speed in a 2000 pound vehicle that is a killing machine if you are not paying attention. Put your phones down. Leave your radio alone. Slow down. Do not get behind the wheel if you have had one too many. Do it for yourself but more importantly, do it for your family who do not deserve to bury you. It is the holidays and people are going to make bad decisions if they do not take a step back and consider the consequences. Nobody wants to bury a loved one during the holidays.
My neighbor, who works from home, told me this morning, that she sees cars go out of control into the parking lot that is in front of the building above, all the time. We both talked about the big trees that are guarding our front yards and the guardian angels that have kept her 10 year old and my 12 year old from getting struck and killed on this road. We are both grateful that there was nobody in the office complex at 11 o'clock last night to be injured. Blesses what the thoughts that ran through my mind, that of my husband, and my neighbor. Blessed because we have not paid the price for someone else's carelessness.
All I am asking is for everyone to think before you drive. Just think. Be aware of your surroundings and be safe. Lives are at stake every single time you get in the car. Don't be stupid. Don't take risks that just are not worth it.