Bad Day But So Very Lucky

Life's short, sometimes fragile and you never know when it's going to change. I got reminded of that rudely just after 7am today as my wife phoned me hysterically and I realised she'd been involved in a serious crash on the way to her work.

I couldn't believe the scene I encountered as I got to her. Roads closed down, police, fire engines and ambulances everywhere and then I discovered she'd been hit by a car out of control on black ice in sub-zero temperatures on the road between Dinas Powys and Barry. As if that wasn't enough, she'd been bumped off road and 15 foot down an embankment trapped in her car.

I wasn't allowed to join her but was told she was ok but had to wait over an hour an a half for her to be cut off of her vehicle which is now a convertible after its roof and doors were removed and she was placed in a neck brace and on a spinal board to go to hospital.

Unbelievably, after checks and x-rays, the damage turned out to be severe aches, pains, bumps, cuts and bruises. It could have been so much worse and even terminal. Time spent at Heath Hospital showed how severe conditions were this morning as A&E was packed with ambulances bringing in car crash victims and people with slips and falls ... we were in a queue of 15 (fifteen!) stretchers in the corridor of accident victims who couldn't get into assessment units at one stage.

It can only be extreme luck that she went down the embankment in a gap narrowly avoiding a head on hit with a tree or stone bridge a few feet either side, the car didn't roll or hit any obstacle on the way down, a gate/fence stopped her going into a stream and the recent dry weather didn't leave in 3 to 5 foot of water on land that is regularly flooded at this time of year. As well as the inside shell of the car was relatively unscathed ... although I'm not sure how/why the airbags didn't go off!

Thanks to all the many emergency services staff and a passing motorist who came to my wife's aid and although it seems like more bad luck for us at a time when we aren't getting much, to have got away unscathed in hindsight is incredible luck.

I went back to the scene lunchtime and these picture show what an escape it was. A day to forget but also one to be grateful for life's mercies.