CARTer Crash Epilogue

[CARTer]

Four weeks ago I received the most terrifying text of my life. Three little words - "Get to Riley". Many of you know that my four-year old daughter was involved in a severe car crash. For a harrowing few minutes I had no idea how she was, only that she and her au pair had been t-boned by a dump truck.

As it turned out, my daughter escaped with a fib/tib fracture, metatarsal fracture and cuts to her face and lips. The au pair had a fractured jaw which is still healing. Sadly, she had to return home to Austria and we miss her very much.

But Lily? She had her cast removed one week ago, and apart from an occasional limp is doing fine. She saw a plastic surgeon yesterday, who recommended we come back in six months to determine whether she needs scar revision. Otherwise, she's done treating from this crash.

Want to know what kind of a miracle this is? Here's a picture of the car:



From the jaws of life to her grandparents' swimming pool in three weeks. I attribute this to two things - a tough kid and a merciful Creator.

So once again, thanks to EVERYONE at TF for your support and concern. For each of you, I wish you and your families are safe, secure and prosperous.

[Media Boy]

I had people at church asking me about this regularly. Thanks for the follow up and I'm so glad everyone is ok.

[mstove]

What a great ending!

[cheeseczar]

Happy to hear you can close this chapter!

[comfortably numb]

Great news!

[Supernova]

Divine intervention indeed. A devastating crash with a happy ending. God be with you and your family always CARTer.

[MoparsRule]

Fantastic news!!!

[Coyote Red]

Wow, that could have been so much worse.

..and a merciful Creator.

[DavidM]

Thanks for the great news update.

That photo is simply terrifying! How did you keep from totally freaking out when you saw the Honda?

[BigWheelHawaii]

Aloha CARTer,,,

Refresh my memory,,, she, "Da Little One" was in the
back seat,,, and in a car seat ?...


For the rest of your life, your wife's life, and her life,
every day is a bonus, and to be blessed... You will
remember forever, that every day is a bonus,,,


..and a merciful Creator,,, so blessed,,,

Uncle Big,,,

[PHJIndy]

Thanks for the update!
She's a real blessing!

[CARTer]

Aloha CARTer,,,

Refresh my memory,,, she, "Da Little One" was in the
back seat,,, and in a car seat ?...


For the rest of your life, your wife's life, and her life,
every day is a bonus, and to be blessed... You will
remember forever, that every day is a bonus,,,


..and a merciful Creator,,, so blessed,,,

Uncle Big,,,

She was in the back seat on the passenger side in a child safety seat. Had anyone been in the front passenger seat they'd likely be DOA. Looking at the angle of the deformation and the paint transfer, it seems the dump truck was swerving to the right at the moment of impact. It looks like the main impact was around the mid point of the front passenger door.

The "A" pillar was completely compromised, but the "B" pillar held up. Had the impact been another 18 or so inches to the rear Lily likely would have been killed. I shudder when I think how close we came to losing her.

As it was, the front passenger seat and the rear passenger door collapsed into the rear seat, pinning her in the car in her safety seat. You can see where the EV crew used the jaws of life to cut the "B" pillar and right-rear door frame to pull it away from her, at which point she was extricated through the driver's side.

One thing I don't quite understand is how or when the front airbags would have fired. There wasn't an impact to the front of the car. All I can guess is that the car spun so violently that the front bags deployed. According to a witness, the car was almost through the intersection when it was hit. The force was so hard that the car did a couple of 360s back through the intersection. In other words, the car was going west to east. It was almost out of the east side of the intersection. It came to rest back on the west side of the intersection after the hit.

Many thanks for the kind words and the reminder that each moment is a gift.

[CARTer]

Here's a shot of the star herself ...

[Media Boy]

What a beauty!

[mclarke]

I have one child, a daughter, and I hope I never have to go through the emotions you must have felt when you received the initial news of the accident. That photo of the vehicle scares the heck out of me, especially since my daughter turned 16 this week and will now be going through a learning-to-drive process.

I am very, very happy that things have worked out this well for you and your beautiful child.