It could have been worse

On a late autumn evening in the rural south end of the state I was assigned, with my partner Trooper Ed Wendry to patrol the northern half of Hillsdale County.  Soon after leaving the Post we got one of those calls that start the adrenaline oozing into the blood stream.  We were on the main artery, US-12, heading eastbound.  Small pockets of fog appeared in the dips in the highway as evening turned into night.

The dispatch said that there was a head on collision on US-12 about five miles west of Jonesville.  As the driver of the patrol car I made an abrupt power turn and began a ten mile trip toward the accident scene.  The little pockets of fog  that we had just gone through had already intensified and thickened.  As I sped along with the overhead flashing lights ricocheting  off the fog I could sense that the road surface was getting a little fluid from the increasing moisture.  Conditions getting all set up for a major crash.

On I drove taking chances against the weather believing that I must get to this scene quickly.  A second call from the dispatcher now informed us that one of the cars nvolved was a Hillsdale county Sheriff’s car.    Not what I wanted to hear at all.  An involuntary surge in my speed was felt as the urgency of the call was increased.  We both knew several deputies from other oint calls in the past.  We said to our partners in unison I hope it’s not fatal.

As we sped through the village and back onto the 55 MPH Zone I accelerated to nearly 80 MPH.  Traffic was light and several cars pulled over to the side of te road as we roared past.  Now the accident scene was just ahead and I slowed to a stop.  Something strange and actually like a movie stunt had occurred and stood before us.

After nearly leaping from our patrol car, there stood two deputies.  Also a fifty plus gentleman whose head was still moving from side to side with a repressed smile expressing total wonderment at what happened.

In the middle of the road was the movie stunt.  The Sheriff’s car was upside down on top of the other guys car car.  Roof on top of the hood.  Its trunk on top of the roof of the other car.  All, as though placed there gently by a crane or the hand of God.  There was no crane in sight so I guess one can make their own conclusions.

The participants of this elegant vehicle engagement explained things this way.  The Sheriff’s car was heading east when out of the foggy spots on thee highway a car approached in fron of it in the wrong lane.  The deputy drove off into the ditch off the roadwayand avoided the oncoming car which roared past and was never seen or heard from again.  While trying to regain control the Sheriff’s car fllipped upside down into the path of the car that was just passed by the missing car.    As the driver schreeched to a halt the rolling Sheriff’s car gently settled upside down on his hood.

As my adrenaline ebbed back to normality I  thought “It could’ve been worse”.