Witness to a Miracle

You may be aware from seeing my facebook, that I was involved in a car accident yesterday...24 hours ago. I am still in shock of how the events have played out. Let me share from the beginning. (The shortened version.)

Here's the set up:
My coworker, Bonnie and another coworker, Lisa and I decided we wanted to go to lunch. We decided to leave around 11:40 to get ahead of the lunch crowd. 400 S has a trax train track going down the middle of the road. Many of the left turn lanes on this road are on the actual train track.

We work in research park, so we headed down 500 S which changes to 400 South. 400 S (at 700 E) has two turn lanes (you can see it in the picture below). The left side of the two turn lanes is on the train track. There was already a car on the right hand side of the two turn lanes. We pulled into the left side lane and waited at the red light. (I've highlighted in yellow, where we were stopped.) Traffic was heavy on 700 E.


What happened:
Bonnie was driving her car. I was in the passenger side of the car. Lisa, was in the back seat behind me. Once we were stopped at the red light in the turn lane, Bonnie expressed her concern about being stopped on the train track and wanted to be sure it was an actual turn lane. Lisa and I pointed out the two turn lane signs that indicate that we were, in fact, in a turn lane, even if it is on the train track. I looked at the girl in the car to my right (who was in the right lane of the two turn lanes). We smiled at each other.

I heard a train horn and looked around and saw that there was a trax train coming in the opposite direction up 400 South. I mentioned it to my friends in the car, "the horn is from the Trax [coming Eastward up the other side]." No big deal. I looked back at the girl in the car next to me and then heard a very loud BOOM!! And then we jolted forward hard as we were hit from behind!

The instant it happened, I knew it was a train and I remember my head went completely clear before I thought, "well, this is it." It was the only thought I had as I waited for more...I waited for us to be hit by the traffic on 700 E...for the train to keep going right through our car....for our own screams and the sound of metal twisting. I waited for the physical pain that was surely coming.

I waited.....it didn't come. My head swam and I saw stars from hitting my head on the back of the seat. There was silence for a moment that lasted forever. I sat in my seat frozen...terrified to look around....to see if my friend was still in the back seat. I half expected to turn around and see myself in the twisted car as if in a movie where a ghost is confused by seeing it's own body. I was terrified to move at all, so I stared forward. All of this happened in mere seconds.

Finally, I looked at the girl in the car next to me who was looking at me with her mouth wide open. She was on the cell phone, now. A moment later, the light turned green and that lane moved through the intersection and made their turn.

The movement of the cars must have snapped us back to reality.

Bonnie asked if we were okay and Lisa answered first that she was, in fact, okay. I was so relieved. I made a mental note that I could feel my whole body...IN TACT and confirmed that I, too, was okay. I looked back at Lisa to verify her condition and noticed that the back window was completely blown out...and right behind us sat the full front of the Trax train! If it had a nose, I'd have been looking up the nostrils.

I called 9-1-1 and I heard my own voice, calm and collected, from a distance: Hello, my name is Tina and I am at the intersection of 700 East and 400 South and we've just been hit by a train.

The operator asked me how many cars were involved. I didn't look around, I knew it was just us and the train; I told her it was just our vehicle. She asked me if we were okay, I told her we were...and I remember it began to sink in that it was too unreal that were all okay. She must have thought the same thing and asked me again, "you said you were hit by a train, right? A trax train, right?" I told her yes. She told me she was sending the police. I asked her, confirmed with her, that we shouldn't move our car. She told me to stay where we were.

I kept thinking: "am I really here? I am alive, right?" It didn't make sense and I was confused by it.

UTA Trax:
I'm not going to go into all the detail of how shady UTA Trax behavior was...shooing us off the track and then taking pictures when we were off the track but not while we were on the track. But it was ridiculous! The Trax officials had us park in a nearby parking lot.

We got out of the car and found that there was not even ONE PIECE of glass in Lisa's hair...not one! The back window had shattered into the back seat where she was sitting. None was in her hair.

Several Trax police officers arrived and not one asked how we were doing...not one! They looked at us and congregated across the parking lot in a discussion with the two orange vests.

The first SLC Police officer arrived on a motor cycle and asked us how we were doing. He talked with Bonnie a while. Lisa and I were walking around taking pictures of the car with my cell phone and talking about the absurdity of the fact that we were WALKING AROUND! I could feel the tears waiting for me.

I called Eric to let him know the quick details and I lost it. I couldn't get out any words at first and finally squeaked out what I could: "Car accident....Trax train....we're okay....can't believe it......gotta go...." He reminded me that he loves me. More tears.

We began to talk with the various police officers that were arriving from Salt Lake City PD. There were about 10 or 11 officers and I'm sure passers by thought we'd just robbed the bank.

Several times the police officers went out the track and looked on the ground....I overheard them talking amongst themselves that the Train driver had mentioned that he'd hit the emergency break. When they do, sand drops from the train and there was none on the track. One officer mentioned to the other, "and it's not a windy day. There should still be sand on the track."

We finally found out why we were being grilled about our details. The train driver/operator had said in his statement that we'd pulled out from a parking lot or changed lanes at the last minute and essentially cut him off. Of course, we clarified that we'd sat at the red light long enough to have a full conversation about the turn lane being on the track, and making eye contact with the car next to us and the horn that sounded well after we'd been sitting there.......It felt like we were there FOREVER answering questions.

We were finally released (after two and a half hours). We were shaken and sore but it did not escape us how bad it really could have been.

My Theory:
So I think the driver of the train was slowing down for the red light (the same one we were stopped at) and didn't see us until it was too late. Maybe because he's used the the track guiding his train and he doesn't have to worry about staying in his own lane. Maybe because he was off in a daze through the monotony of the day. I don't know. But it's clear he was going slow for the red light. It's also clear that he didn't see us until just before he hit us because we were in the turn lane for a while before the honking began. And it's clear that if he'd been going any faster, I wouldn't be here typing up my story.

Reactions:
When we got back to work, one person told me that we have the worst luck because a train hit us. I told him that I was choosing to look at it a little differently....that we have to be luckiest people on the earth at this very moment.

Another person said, "could this day get any worse?" I was pretty shocked by that question because of the obviousness of the answer. So I told him, "It could have been the worst, and final day of my life, actually. So, yes, it could have gotten a whole lot worse."

I am fully aware of where this day could have gone......that has been the most emotional part of this day. I've been pretty stunned.

There's More
The story doesn't end here. The girl in the car next to us had left the scene. When she had turned, both Lisa and I noticed a pizza sign on her car. I didn't see what company, but we tracked her down and she has given her statement to the police detective in charge of our case.

She remembers us for this reason: She looked at our car when we pulled up and saw me in the passenger side of the car, chewing and sniffing my hair....It's an odd habit I've had since I was a little girl. Many people have made fun of that habit. She remembers it because she does the same thing with her hair and that's why she noticed me. She remembers that we were sitting there for about 30 seconds before we were hit by the train from behind.

Go ahead. Count out 30 seconds the next time you get to a red light and see when you feel safe from being hit from behind. I promise you, it won't be very far into your count.

How we're doing:
I'm still in shock and not sure how to express the confusion I feel inside. My mind wanders into the possibilities of what could have happened and I become overwhelmed. I am so grateful that we are okay! okay! We were hit by a train and walked away!
Walked away!
It's unbelievable!
I believe all things happen for a reason. There's a reason we were on that track at that moment.

I am sore. My back, neck and shoulders are sore. My head is still swimming a little bit; my vertigo hasn't loved that jostle. My back, neck and arms are slowly getting stiffer. I am going to the doctor this week just to have it on record just in case the pain gets worse. BUT! I'm okay! My friends are in the same place....sore with some pain, but we know how much worse it could have been.

This story can't be told without mentioning the car that absorbed the bulk of that impact. Clearly Bonnie's Dodge did it's job. I'm glad that cars are made in a way to lessen the impact to the passengers. I don't like the thought of me in Eric's small car (that we love) up against that train in the same circumstances.

Everybody who has heard the story has clarified: you said a train, right? I thank the powers above that kept us safe. We were being watched and it's humbling to think someone stepped in on our behalf. I can recognize a miracle when I see it. And this is a true and pure miracle.

Pictures of the car:




Thank you for the comments of support on Facebook. I know that I am incredibly grateful to be here today.