Crashes can have many lasting effects

By Mia Kingsley

 

Mia Kingsley

In July of 2012, my mother and I were in a serious car accident due to someone running a stop sign on Highway 99. This accident had many lasting effects on me, my mother, and the driver that struck us. I would like to share how this accident has affected me as a driver and a passenger, and how it has transformed my perspective on traffic safety.

I was 7 years old, going into 2nd grade. At the time, we were living in the town of Madison. Since my mom worked in Emporia, it was about a 25-minute drive to her work. The night before the accident, my mom had asked me if I wanted to go to work with her the next day. I was ecstatic, to say the least. 

The next morning, I put on my white robe that was printed with blue and pink stars and grabbed my favorite stuffed animal, trying to really capture the “sleepy head” look. Shortly after, my mom and I headed outside and got into our brand new, gold, Dodge Charger. We then headed to her work, driving on Highway 99.

After about 15 minutes, we had driven through Olpe, and were about 10 minutes away from my mom's work. I had closed my eyes, pretending to be asleep. Suddenly, we were struck on the driver's side of our car. I remember spinning and spinning and running into a barbed wire fence, almost flipping. I opened my eyes, and I asked my mom what had happened. She told me she didn't know but that I needed to get out of the car. As I tried to open the door, it was jammed. I then proceeded to climb over the front console and then outside. 

I remember someone stopping and telling us that they had called an ambulance. 

Once the ambulance arrived, I remember my mom repeatedly telling the workers that she could not breath. It took numerous attempts of her telling them this for them to treat her. They eventually gave me a stuffed animal to keep me calm, and we headed to the hospital.

I suffered only minor injuries, with a few bruises. However, my mom and the driver that hit us would have a different story to tell. My mom's knee had rammed into the dash of the car, and she has had permanent nerve damage ever since. This damage has spread throughout her body ever since the accident, giving her the condition known as complex regional pain syndrome (CRPS). The other driver suffered a major concussion, due to not wearing a seat belt. The doctors had considered life flighting him, but thankfully they didn't have too. He was unable to recall what happened and was not able to tell us why he had run the stop sign. Speculations have been texting, or drowsy driving.

Although I didn't suffer physical effects, I have had extreme mental effects from this accident. I get nervous when someone is distracted and not aware of their surroundings. I have also become a very cautious driver; some would may be say too cautious. I have been called the “grandma” driver in my friend group because I always drive the speed limit. 

This accident has shown me how crucial it is to follow and obey traffic laws. They are in place for a reason, and that reason is to prevent things like this from happening. Traffic safety is something I have become very passionate about because of the accident, and I hope that by sharing my story that I am able to push others to do the same. 

 

Mia Kingsley is a senior at Olpe High School