Last week started as a relaxing break from work…my mom was visiting… we were preparing for a big cookout at the house for Matt’s 20 year class reunion…  some of his closest friends from back then were going to be there… we sent out invites months ago and Matt was so excited about seeing everyone…

Then, Tuesday night changed all of our plans and made us aware of how helpless we all really are when it comes to other drivers on the road… Matt was sitting at a stoplight… minding his own business when out of no where a trailer hauling a single-wide mobile construction office came unhitched from the truck heading toward him… crashed through his window and went over the car… pinning him inside…

I was at the YMCA at the time waiting for him to get there… we had talked on the phone and he told me that he would be getting there as I was leaving… I waited and watched for him to pull into the parking lot… I asked the folks at the front desk if they had seen him… they said no… but that there was an awful accident on Rt. 122… I figured he was stuck in traffic… but when I got to my car a voicemail from my father-in-law confirmed that he was not stuck in traffic… he was in the accident…  I cringe and tears come to my eyes just thinking about it… As I listened to the voicemail I thought…What?  Not Matt…

I was at the scene in less than one minute and it was the scariest time of my life… seeing our car flattened… screaming for someone to help me find him… where was he?  I just wanted to see him to talk to him to hear his voice…

I didn’t realize at that point that EMTs were taking him to Roanoke Memorial Hospital… there were two EMTs stuck in the traffic back-up who came to help him as his head gushed blood and he was about to go into shock from the trauma of the event… he wasn’t doing anything wrong… he was just sitting at a stoplight and nearly died because of it… everyone we have talked to says if he hadn’t ducked… if the trailer had been an inch or two lower… he wouldn’t be here today…. but he is…

I thank God he had one second to react… I thank God for the two EMTs stuck in traffic… I often pray that God will keep us safe and watch over us…. that prayer was answered last Tuesday at 5:10pm… if I didn’t believe in miracles before I certainly do now.