Wednesday, April 4, 2012

Buying a New Car, Installment #2--The Turn

We brought the new (2010) Suburban home to an excited crew--everyone wanted to see what each button did, where the radio was, what the seats felt like, etc.    We talked about the rules of the new car:

2.  No feet on the seats.
3.  No eating in the car.
4.  Pick up your stuff when you get out.
Then it was bedtime for all concerned.

The next morning, I was out visiting a friend with the two little ones.  I've never been a real stickler for seat belts in our neighborhood, even though I do know better.  I've been a mom for a lot of years now, and seat belts and car seats are used--about 60% of the time.  The new car was no exception.  Even though Evie's seat was belted and strapped in, I just let her and Hyrum sit on the middle bench for the two-minute ride home.

I made the turn around the corner, and from here the world changed to slow motion.  Suddenly I heard Evie scream. I looked in the rear-view mirror, and to my horror, I saw that the passenger side rear door was gaping open and Evie was nowhere in sight.  Could this really be happening?

Next thing I heard was myself screaming, which made Hyrum snap to attention and ask what was wrong.  I braked as gently as I could, and the thought crossed my mind that at the speed I was going (about 10 mph) and the direction I had turned that it would be virtually impossible to run over her.  I jumped out of the car, ran around to the other side of the car, only to see Evie's silky in the road about 20 feet behind us.  I looked toward the vehicle, and Evie was hanging by both hands from the door handle, suspended in the air, pacifier still between her screaming lips.  I ran to her, scooped her into my arms and held her close.  As we walked back to retrieve the silky, she just kept muttering, "Scary.  Scary.  Scary."

She was right.  I returned her to the car, this time I carefully and tightly strapped her down in her car seat, with Hyrum in his buckle now as well.

That turn on a quiet neighborhood road added a new rule to the top of our list:

1.  Dentons always wear seatbelts, no matter how short the journey.


I cringe every time I think how different the outcome of that morning visit could have been.  And Evie is still talking about "Silky fall out.  Scary. Scary. Scary."

Linking up to T at Jenny Matlock's Alphabe-Thursday.Jenny Matlock

32 comments:

  1. oh my gosh you made my heart skip a beat or three! Thank God she's ok!

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  2. Oh, that's terrifying! I'm so glad you all are using your seat belts now! Those kids are just too adorable to have anything happen to them! Good luck following through!

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  3. So glad she's ok!

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  4. Oh my heavens, what a wake up call! So glad it was a "safe" close call.

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  5. Oh man, my heart squeezed at this one! My kids were all little before seatbelts....but my grands are all buckled in before grannies car moves! Being an EMT for 6 years taught me how important they are. Thanks for your new rule....

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  6. SCARY indeed!
    Seat belts, car seats and booster seats are the law up here - big fines if you're caught without!

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  7. Thank goodness your little girl wasn't harmed, scary!
    That was a hard lesson to learn.

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  8. Rule number one is always the most important! Wow. So glad Evie was okay...my heart was racing reading this. Your lesson could be a lesson to many others out there. This sounds like one of those terrible dreams!!

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  9. I've had a close call (a toddler ASLEEP in the bathtub) and it still wakes me up at night thinking how bad it could have been had I stayed in the next room a minute or two longer. Thank goodness everyone was safe and for second chances.

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  10. That is one very scary way to learn such an important lesson. So, so glad she's okay, Jen!

    Whew.

    "/

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  11. I am so glad she is allright and amazed that she was hanging on - Wow!

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  12. Seatbelts are worn in our cars, or the cars don't move. Somewhere along the line this was beaten into my head. We've been very lucky. Glad everyone is okay! Hopping over from Jenny Matlock!

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  13. YOU SCARED ME!! Poor little Evie - bet she'll never fiddle with the door handle again. I'm so glad that everything is ok and no one was hurt - except for your sanity. Seat belts all around!

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  14. That one took my breath away. Oh my goodness!!!!
    Thank goodness for those angels that are nearby.

    I bet you love that new car!!!

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  15. That is the scariest thing I have ever read. It was like reading a horror story.
    I would have needed some serious therapy after that.
    What a miracle that little Evie was able to hang on.

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  16. oh. my. gosh. my heart practically stopped when I read that. How unimaginably scary. How incredibly blessed. Heavenly Father loves us, even when we make stupid mistakes...and sometimes especially when we make stupid mistakes. (Not calling you stupid...just saying that we are loved.) So glad that no-one was hurt.

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  17. How horrible! I'm so glad Evie is okay.

    I'm a stickler about seat belts. Heck, my 8-year old just graduated from a car seat to a booster (yes, I'm that neurotic). This story is going to increase my neurosis even more!

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  18. WOW ! that is scary! It's amazing Evie stayed holding on! Good thing! Gosh! {:-D

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  19. Wow. I am shocked at your previous disregard for seatbelts! That was something that was always emphasized with my parents. I always wear my seatbelt and I'm twenty years old. I don't care how careful of a driver you are, you never know who else is out there being reckless.

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  20. Oh my goodness that had to be SO frightening!!.. I had something similar happen when I was about 12. We had an old car and in those days seatbelts were not a big thing.. The front seat was a bench seat. My mom was driving, my brother who is older was in the middle and I was next to the door. My mom turned the corner to drive down our street and the passenger side door flew open and I almost went with it.. had it not been for my brother grabbing me as quickly as he did, I would have been out that door.. Im SO glad everything turned out alright with you and the kids. Thank GOD!

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  21. Oh how scary. To think how many close calls we have is so scary. Thank God for his angels all around us!

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  22. Wow! Your new car looks amazingly beautiful. I bought a new car last month since my car broke when I need it the most. Hehe. Congratulations again!

    Payday Loans in San Diego

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  23. Oh my gosh. My heart was pounding through this story. Oh my gosh. I am soooo thankful the angels were surrounding your beautiful new car that day.

    Oh my gosh.

    What a terrifying tale.

    So thankful this ended well.

    Thanks for getting my blood pressure up!

    A+

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  24. ok how smart is she to hang on?!!!

    i'd have vomited in the road!

    poor silky....and to think she was more worried about that i bet instead of herself!

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  26. We can actually replace our old set of seatbelts with new and improved ones. We all know about those typical lap belt and sash harnesses we commonly find in our cars. Now we can upgrade these with what we call 5-point harnesses. This is a seat belt with five straps engineered thoroughly for improved safety. This design is especially intended for children. Well, that is certainly one heart-pounding story. Thank God nothing worse happened.

    Carson Wininger

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  27. That was a terrifying experience! How did the rear door suddenly open like that? Good thing Evie was all right after it. I agree with you that wearing seatbelts inside the car should be the top priority of every car owner. So, when choosing a car, we should take a look at the safety features and the overall safety score of the car.



    @Ivo Beutler

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  28. I know this is a very scary story, but I am laying in bed with my husband reading this and cracking up...especially about all the comments. (Only laughing since I know she is okay.) We live in Idaho now, have six kids, and I am afraid I am a bit guilty of the 60% rule sometimes. I totally agree they are SO important, but now that we are living "in the country" i have become a bit laxed. Will be more careful! You are brave to tell this story...knowing all the tisk tisk comments you would get. Just wanted to say, thanks for sharing. Things like this happen to every parent, and no one needs anyone "reminding" you afterwards important seat belts are. (Most people just won't ADMIT they happen.)

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