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Why People Are Stopping At My House to Take Pictures



It's not all the work we've put into this house that is causing drivers by to stop and take pictures.  I wish I were telling of our immaculately landscaped yard where a plethora of flowers bloom and a lush, green lawn grows that makes one pause to behold its beauty and thus feel the need to stop and take pictures. No, that's not quite the story I have to tell.  It's because Michael's car was totaled night before last, and now sits in our driveway, that people are doing double takes and even coming back by to take photos at our house!





I have joked a bit on my blog about my being OCD, but the truth is that I am.  So, I have to play everything out in my mind and try to analyze certain situations so that I can better understand them.  I need for things to make sense.  It amazes me that Michael and Ethan had just headed home in our car and left Michael's car at our house, parked in the street.   Normally, Michael and Ethan come by the house and carpool with Shawn to the restaurant, leaving whichever of their cars they drove over behind.   Michael/Ethan usually takes his car home at night but for no reason other than wanting to get home faster that night, the boys dropped Shawn off and left Michael's car parked in front of our mailbox.  Not 15 minutes later I heard what sounded like an explosion and within seconds was out the front door with Trevor at my heels. About 12 of our neighbors including a couple from the next street over, also heard the noise and came out to see what had happened.  Sadly, it was a neighbor who'd had one too many drinks and came plowing down the hill at 50-55 mph in his Hummer, colliding into Michael's Lexus straight on.  It sent the Lexus forward about 40-45 feet, up and into a neighbors yard.  Trev and I watched in bewilderment to see the driver of the Hummer casually pull into his driveway a few houses down the street, slowly get out of the car, and walk inside his house as if nothing had happened. 

After it becoming obvious that the man had no intentions of coming down to acknowledge what he'd done,  some of the neighbors went to confront him.  He walked up the street and told us that it was his wife who was driving the Hummer when it hit Michael's car.  I could smell alcohol on him, though I was ten feet away from him.  He was by all accounts intoxicated and slowly murmured "tell me the cost and I'll pay the damages" and then went back home.   That didn't work out for him.  My next door neighbor, a canine unit officer, had the accident on film from cameras on his house and radio'd in the hit and run.  When the police came we all gave our statements to them and they went down to the man's house to talk to him.  We'd told the police that he was driving but had claimed it had been his wife.  When the police went to talk to him they told him that his wife would go to jail for leaving the scene of an accident, believing that he would then cave in and confess that he had been driving.  He had the gall to tell the police he was just fine with them taking his wife to jail.  That is pure cowardice in my book!  As it turned out, Michael's car was not the first thing this man had hit that night.  The other side of his Hummer had bark fragments and leaves on it from hitting a tree, which the police located after scouring our neighborhood.  The guy has a previous DUI.  His wife later came out of the house in her pajamas...what a surprise...she had been sleeping, along with their three young children.  She wasn't going to take the rap for him and gave a written statement saying as much to the officers.  The man was arrested, taken to jail and the car impounded for evidence.  Having a prior conviction for drinking under the influence, leaving the scene of not one, but two accidents in one night that he caused and then lying to police to save his own skin may put him in prison.

I suppose I'm telling you the story because I feel so thankful that Michael and Ethan were not at the car, in the car, or getting into the car, when this happened.  They would not have survived the impact of this crash.  Glass, metal and debris were into the front seat.  Everything under the hood of Michael's car was shifted forward, including the engine, by several inches, just from the impact.  Think of what would have happened to a human beings neck. Snap!  I'm so thankful that noone was injured, including the drunk driver.  I can't tell you how I hurt for his children and wife.   And, though it really makes me angry that he was going to let his wife take the rap for this, I also am thankful that he hit Michael's car...for had it not been parked in the street, he'd have missed the curve altogether and driven into a home instead, probably killing himself or someone sleeping inside, or both.  I hope he is able to get help for his apparent problem.  I do believe things happen for a reason though I don't always understand.

Now, what has been a little funny in this situation, is that we had the car towed into our driveway to get it out of the neighbors yard.  It was about 1:30 a.m. by this time and we thought we'd deal with insurance, etc. in the morning.  We were all tired.  Well, the insurance company has not yet come to tow Michael's car away and since then I have lost count of all the cars that have driven by, stopped or backed up, turned around for a longer look and taken pictures of what is left of Michael's car.

Oh, and one last note...what a testament to the safety of Hummer's...not only did its driver walk away unscathed but the Hummer itself scarcely had a scratch on it!











joining: Miracle Monday

Comments

  1. Wow. Just wow. I give praise that everyone is safe. Cherry Kay

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  2. Wow! So glad nobody was injured. I cannot believe that drunk neighbor of yours....Christine

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  3. Oh Nancy I'm so sorry about this. Thank goodness no one was in that car.
    Sherry

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  4. OOOOO....MMMMMM......GGGGGEEEEE!!!!!

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  5. Wow, you are lucky! Someone upstairs is watching over you and yours.

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  6. Wow! So glad everyone is okay! It is amazing the damage that hummer did, and barely a scratch on it! That is definitely a testament to the safety of the hummer. It is kind of annoying sometimes that the drunk almost always walks away unhurt. Not that I want someone to be hurt, but sometimes I wonder if they were injured if they would think twice the next time they decide to get behind the wheel.

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  7. Praise God that everyone was safe. How scary this must have been knowing your loved ones missed this by minutes. Shame shame on that man and his Hummer. Glad everyone is okay. xo marlis

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  8. Omg!,, thank the Lord above that no one was hurt or killed. I was shaking after reading your post, my brother and father were almost killed by a drunk driver. Your neighbor should hang his head in shame and to blame his wife...there are not even words for that behavior.

    I hope he gets help because one day he will hurt somebody, or himself or his kids.

    On a lighter note, I love visiting your blog and your easy store. Have a great weekend.

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  9. I do not know what happened to my comment...in any case, thank the Lord you and your family are ok. Your neighbor is a sick man annd he should be ashamed of himself. To blame his wife...are there weds for that behavior?

    I hope you have a great weekend.

    Love visiting here to see all of your transfer ware treasures.

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  10. Wow, what an amazing story...People are indeed to much at times. Well the good things was that he was taking to jail and hopefully get what he deserves trying to blame his poor wife. I'm glad that no one got hurt and I'm sorry for the car being messed up..it's terrible...well have a great weekend..hugs Janice.

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  11. Nancy, What a relief no one was in the car! I became a member of MADD after my son's car was hit by a drunk driver that also left the scene. Luckily he had only minor injuries. I was then hit by a drunk driver a few months later which resulted in a year of physical therapy for me. It just infuriates me when someone drinks and then drives putting others in danger. Thank goodness none of your family was hurt.
    xo,
    Sherry

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  12. This is an unbelievable story, Nancy. Thank God no one was injured. I feel badly for the boys, and I also feel badly for this guy's wife and 3 young children. Hopefully the insurance company will do what they need to do. xo,

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  13. Oh gosh Nancy. What an awful thing to happen. Thank goodness everyone is all right. Sorry that your car is totaled... what a bother... and what kind of man would blame his wife for his own actions?
    I always say,"Nothing good ever comes from drinking and driving".
    Hope your weekend is better,
    Babs

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  14. My husband has seen too many incidents that ended in death or severe injury when drunk drivers are involved. He has received many awards for his efforts to keep drunk offenders off the streets. The hardest part is prosecution. I hope the officer's report has no holes in it! It would be a travesty for this man to get away with this crime!
    I am relieved to know no one was hurt!

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  15. Wow, what a story! So glad your family wasn't hurt.
    What a jerk of a neighbor.
    D

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  16. No one could make this one up - it could be part of a book about abusers. So glad no one was injured - what a louse. Poor his wife.

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  17. Good grief!! What a story! Thank goodness no one was injured. You must have been very shaken indeed!

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  18. I am so glad no one was hurt. What a creep to blame his wife. I can't even imagine if someone was in that car

    Heather

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  19. Phew! I was so worried when I saw the first photos Nancy. I'm so pleased that Michael and Ethan were safe, though I'm afraid I wouldn't be able to say that about your wonderful neighbour }:o(

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  20. WIth the first picture, my thought was "how did anyone walk away from that?". I am so glad that no one was hurt. Hopefully, the man will be away from a steering wheel for a long time. Unfortunately, drunk drivers are rarely the ones injured in the accidents that they cause. Our next door's husband was killed in an accident by a drunk college student. The student got off with a pat on the hand because of his father's position in the community (Boston). Our neighbor has had to raise 2 little girls on her own & it has not been easy. I know that they would have turned out better if their father had been there to have an influence on their lives.
    Beckie in Brentwood, TN

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  21. Wow! Unbelievable! Thanks goodness no one was hurt.

    Dee

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  22. Thank God no one was in or around the car! It is very sad to think this guy was driving while apparently *very* intoxicated. It was God's hand that avoided injuries or death of who knows how many during this guy's adventure on the roads. I feel so bad for his wife and children.

    This is a pre-Thanksgiving blessing for your family isn't it? :-)
    xo
    Pat

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  23. Thank God no one was in that car. That is an amazing story. Can't believe that man would blame his wife for what he had done. Glad she stood up for herself. The condition of the Hummer says a lot for the safety of driving one (sober, that is).

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  24. Praise God nobody was hurt Nancy. What a story! I made my husband read it - he couldn't believe it! So many what-ifs, but the Lord was definitely looking out for you and your family and many others that night.
    xoxo,
    Kim

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  25. Nancy,
    So glad no one was hurt. Tragic story for the man's wife and young children.

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  26. Wow Nancy, that was quite a story. The guy is such a bum...glad no one was injured. Joni

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  27. The Man up there sure was protecting your men, Nancy. Thank goodness they weren't inside the car!! This was an insane story, with a neighbor like that...who needs enemies! This man is such a menace, hope he goes to jail for a while and streightens his act, soon, before he does kill someone!! Bless you all. FABBY

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  28. Thank God no one was hurt! I'm glad that guy got caught but what a cowardly thing to do to try to turn in his wife to safe his own butt.
    God bless you and your family (and your neighbor's family as well).
    Brittany

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