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Hannah McAbee
Lecturer D. Jizi
UWRT 1104 -014
1 February 2017

An event that contributed to who I am today would have to be the time that I totaled my

car. It all happened so fast and there was no way to stop it. While on the way to church one

Wednesday evening, my life changed for what looked like the worst, but ultimately for the better.

I was driving my cousin and boyfriend at the time in my 2002 Honda Accord to church for our

annual ice cream social to end summer. We had just left the driveway; the car was loaded with

snack we were taking. As I was making my way out of the neighborhood, I had to let a SUV

back out of their driveway. I remember getting frustrated because I was ready to get there and

enjoy the rest of the evening. As we continued out of the neighborhood, I took a turn too fast and

my cousin had dropped the snacks all in the floor. Also at that same time the SUV that I had let

out had stopped right in the middle of the turn to talk to some friends on the sidewalk. Before I

knew it, my car was lodged under the SUV. My airbags came flying out and I can remember the

immediate impact. About the time that I realized what had happened, I saw three kids get out of

the SUV, all under the age of seven. My heart immediately hurt and I began to think, what have

I done? I was not able to get out of the car through my door because my whole front end of the

car was smashed back and had the doors __ shut. I ended up crawling out the passenger side and

made sure my cousin and boyfriend were okay. They were but the younger kids who were in the

car in front of me were not. They hadnt been wearing their seatbelts and so when I hit them they

had flown into the seats in front of them. My heart ached as I remember seeing them cry. If they

would have been wearing their seat belts then they wouldnt have been hurt, but at the same time,
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if I had been paying attention, watched my speed, and not been distracted by my cousin and my

phone, the accident wouldnt have happened.

After my car was towed and the police officers were gone, I went to the church but

wasnt in the mood for ice cream anymore. When I got home that night I cried for hours until

finally falling asleep. About two days later

In the end, this showed me how valuable life is. Ever since that day, I increased my

following distance to a whole car distance and I never use my phone while driving. Seeing those

kids crying and scared really touched me. It made me feel like God was trying to speak to me

and tell me to get my act together.

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