Scariest Day of My Life

On May 25th, 2009 at 1:12 PM Pacific Time Sam, Gretchen, Maggi, and I were in a wreck in Palmer, Alaska. It was Memorial Day, and we were headed to Hatcher's Pass for some leisure hiking before a cookout later that day with Sam and Gretchen's bible study group. Our plans changed in a matter of seconds when two cars came speeding down the mountain road. The first car (with a 9-year old passenger) narrowly missed us. The second car, skidding out of control, crossed the center line and hit us head on. We came to an immediate stop, and thankfully all the safety features of the Ford Escape deployed and we were all wearing our seat belts. The police projected that the 1992 Honda Accord was traveling between 60 and 70 mph when it struck us. Sam and I sustained very minor injuries. Gretchen was in an extreme amount of pain, and later we learned she had fractured 4 of her vertebrae. Maggi can not remember anything associated with the wreck. She hit her head and was exhibiting signs of a concussion. I will spare a large amount of the details because I have had to repeat them too many times.

Why was this the scariest day of my life. It wasn't the wreck itself, but the situations that were out of my control that haunt me. I have been through some life threatening situations before, but all those times were situations that just involved myself. I could handle that, I knew what I was up against, it was just me. Well, that wasn't the case this time, there was someone involved in this that was more important to me than life itself. I stared into Maggi's eyes and she asked me where Travis was and how he was doing. She repeated this question several times and I was helpless. Nothing I was capable of doing could fix this situation. The paramedics arrived and labeled Maggi's head trauma as the most critical at the scene. They called in the MediVac and put her on a body board. I watched my fiance, the love of my life, wheeled away on a gurney, unsure of where she was going or what was wrong. After that I didn't know what to do, I was standing there in the middle of the street with a neck brace on, surrounded by carnage and chaos that had such a short time ago been a peaceful, scenic mountain road.

Well, later that day, we were all released from the hospital. I observed Maggi all that night and over the next several days for any changes or signs of trouble. Gretchen is still recovering from her injuries and we are all praying for a full, back to normal recovery. I am thankful that Maggi doesn't remember anything. Just before I fall asleep at night, when the lights are out, I am revisited by visions of the car skidding towards us seconds before impact. Sometimes, as I drive, similar scenes flash around me and an instantaneous, brief moment a wave of panic envelops me. It truly is a miracle that we were able to walk away from that accident, and that I still have the opportunity and privilege to spend the rest of my life with Maggi. It is a blessing and I will use this as a reminder to never take her or the time I get to spend with her for granted.