I always tend to get worried when we're headed out on a family road trip. And now I have a new one for the list. Flying truck parts. That's what killed an 8-year-old Georgia girl this week and took off her mom's arm.
The way the authorities tell it, the transmission of a semi just blew off the giant tractor trailer, flew across the median, and crashed through the windshield of Jameka French's SUV. Her daughter, Cameron Mcilwain, was all the way in the backseat where kids belong (along with her younger sister), but the impact killed her.
I know we all need the reminder that some things can't be prevented, so we should just let go of the worry, but this is probably one of the absolute worst ways the universe could deliver the message. She was just a little girl!
And her poor Mom, I can't even imagine what she is going through right now. Forget the amputated arm, she was driving along and BLAM-O! She lost one of her daughters. She's got to keep moving for little 19-month-old Kanary, who fortunately escaped with just some cuts from the glass, but I don't envy her in the least.
All I can hope is that Jameka can come to grips with the fact that this was random, that it wasn't her fault, so she can find a little peace in the midst of her grief. That's not easy to do as a mom, heck, as a human.
But that's one of the things we all need to learn about being on the road. There are millions of cars out there. Accidents are going to happen. We can be smart, safe drivers. We can put our kids in the back seat, even employ all the car seat safety rules we can. But we can't control everyone or everything on the road. Flying truck parts are just another thing we're going to have to deal with if we want to enjoy the convenience of motor vehicles and highways.
What is the scariest thing that's happened on the road ... that you couldn't control?
Image via jesiehart/Flickr
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Comments 18
Poor mom! I remember a road trip when I was about 10. A semi side-swiped our van and knocked off the passenger side mirror. I was sitting behind the driver--my father--and it happened so fast I didn't even realize what had happened until we pulled over and my parents got out to yell at the driver of the semi and assess the damage. They tore him a new one! Though there were five kids in the back of the van (myself included). I would have done the same thing.
Wildlife, suicidal birds, people walking in the road at night, and stuff falling out of trees(you don't want to know).
Just because some people choke on their food doesn't mean food is unsafe. Just because some people get struck by lightening in their yard doesn't mean that all yards are unsafe. And just because some people become alcoholics, huff glue, or abuse medications doesn't mean that alcohol, glue, and prescriptions are unsafe. The seatbelt laws in place are hard enough on us already, although I am not saying I disagree with them. The point is that it doesn't matter what we do, people, including kids, can and will die, sometimes in unexpected and tragic ways.