Sunday Morning Adventure

As I mentioned briefly before, we were in an auto accident our last morning in Ceske Budejovice. At the intersection where we were to turn onto the street the church is on, the missionary took a left turn in front of an oncoming car. I saw the car coming and assumed he wouldn't be turning in front of it, but when he did his wife said something about it as he entered her lane. I braced myself, hoping she would go past the back end, but she didn't. She slammed into the side door and rear wheel, preventing the door from being able to open and bursting out the rear side window onto the three children. Jason slammed into me, made worse by the fact he had not put on his seatbelt.

When I first turned around, one of the girls, Tori, was missing. I looked at the opposite rear window, fearing she had been thrown out of the van. It was intact, so I then looked down to find her on the floor. She had not been wearing a seatbelt either. Ronnie had hit his head on the window and was holding it in pain. Sophia began to have blood come out of her mouth and then down the side of her face. She began to scream in panic and we tried to calm her down since non of us could get out. She realized she was bleeding and understandably became even more upset. Ron opened the back door, lifting the children out, then Jason and I climbed out the back, over our suitcases, as well.

Several church people came out to offer assistance with translating. One lady went with Brenda and the children to the hospital, one of the men helped with telling what happened, and another went with Ron to the police department to help him with questioning.

The car that struck us was obviously totaled, with both air bags deployed. I felt so badly for her, especially since many of the people there do not have much money. Also, she was by herself, which certainly is not easy when you are in an accident.

Ronnie and Tori were released from the hospital later that day, but they kept Sophia overnight for observation. She also had to get some stitches from her cuts. Jason and I were both sore, but ended up leaving for Prague that afternoon as planned.

Since then the van has been declared totaled, though the insurance company is only giving them half of what they were hoping to sell it for. The woman who struck us was charged with two things, one of which was speeding. Apparently some witnesses called into the police department and said she had almost hit them in a crosswalk (where pedestrians have the right of way) just a short distance before our accident. Also, she did not attempt to brake, for some unknown reason. Although ultimately our van was at fault for turning in front of her, they believed her speed made the accident worse and possibly preventable if she had been going more slowly. It is really hard to say - there was a speed trap on that road and I think it might have taken away the attention of not only her, but also the man we were with. He noticed it and commented on it right before the accident and she may have been looking back at it as she passed.

We are very thankful that we were in a mini van and not a car. The injuries would have been much worse if we had been in a smaller vehicle. We are grateful the Lord protected all of us.