essay blog

Dominique Guevara

Professor Croker

Wednesday nights

2/4/13

                                                Essay #1

            It was a nice beautiful sunny summer day in Oxnard. I was driving back home from a baseball game in los Angeles. I got off the freeway at the Oxnard Boulevard exit. I was driving down the boulevard headed towards five points and my stomach started growling. I told myself that I was going to stop at Carl’s Jr. to eat. I stopped at the drive through and got my food. I got on to Saviers Road and headed towards Bard Road. I was almost at the intersection and looked up and I had the green light.

 I was going to go down Pleasant Valley Road to go home. I remember hitting the intersection and at the last moment I looked left and bam I got hit right on my driver side door. I remember after I got hit sitting in my car I can see my door pushed in, I can smell and see oil on my windshield, and a very strong scent of gasoline fumes coming into my car. In shock I remember hearing tires screeching and sounds of broken class falling as well. I couldn’t open my driver side door so I unbuckled my seat belt and went through the passenger side door. I got out and I was just shocked and what just occurred. I grabbed my cell phone and called 911, they asked me what my emergency was and told them that I was in an accident in the intersection of Bard and Saviers.

While waiting for the police I went to go talk to the guy that hit me. He got out of his car, he was a very short slender Mexican man who had a very strong scent of alcohol on him. To worsen the matter even more the man had no insurance and no drivers’ license. We were talking next to his van and I looked inside and I seen a 12 pack of Budweiser on his floorboard. I took out my phone and started taking pictures of the 12 pack of beer and taking pictures of my vehicle damage. Police arrived on scene first. The officer approached us and said “were you guys involved in the accident” and we said yes. Another officer came and pulled him to the side. The officer asked me if I need the paramedics. I said “no I’m fine just a little shaken up”. He said “I’m going to call them anyway to be sure your ok just to be safe”. I told him “ok thank you officer”. He asked me what happened. I explained to him that I was heading through the intersection and that I had the green light and then I got hit from my left side.

The officer told me to take a seat on the curb until fire and paramedics arrive. Finally fire and paramedics arrive on scene with their sirens and lights flashing. The paramedics checked me out and said I was ok. No serious injuries to me. The officers were writing there reports and the officer noticed the alcohol in the vehicle. They gave him a DUI test and the breathalyzer. He failed it and they arrested him on the spot. I was still in shocked and rattled about what just happened I was shaking like crazy. I also remember seeing fire fighters with brooms sweeping up all the glass they can get, and with buckets of this white substance pouring it onto the oil and gasoline to absorb it all up. The tow truck came to get both vehicles out of the intersection and take them away.

I really wish the event didn’t take place. I reflect back on the accident and get a little angry that I totaled the vehicle but that should be the least of my worries. Now I realize that this could have been a lot worse and that I didn’t have any major injuries because I’ve seen a lot of statistics on fatalities of drunk drivers. In my case I had a bruise going across from my neck from the seatbelt, a bruise from the bottom part of the seatbelt on my stomach, and a few cuts and bruises on my left leg from the door on impact. I think I was really lucky not to sustain severe injuries.

Before the event, I knew life was short. To be honest I didn’t think it was so fragile and so quick to lose. Every time I drive now I’m way more cautious going through intersections and even down my own street. Also, before my accident I would hear news stories saying people died in a car accident. I said to myself “ how can that happen, your protected in a steel vehicle”. Now that I Think back on that I realize it all now.

            The event is significant to me because I realized now that life is so short. Don’t take it for granted because it could all be over so fast.