It was a normal Thursday morning, a day like any other day. She was 16 and recently earned her driver's license. She got up early, got ready for school, and then went outside to get into her car.
She still got excited every time she saw it. Her car. It was her car.
She got into her car, started it up and turned on the radio. Then she headed out for school.
Rush hour traffic is never fun, but here in the Rocket City it never gets heavy enough to slow anyone down much. Ironically, it never goes fast enough for anyone to really get moving either.
She was driving along, down the neighborhood streets and out onto the highway. It was the same route she traveled every day on her way to school. It never changed. It was never exciting. Except that now she was the driver, not a passenger, and for her that much was exciting.
"Ah, sweet freedom!"
She probably didn't even notice the truck as she passed through the intersection. She had the right of way anyway, so why should it matter?
But it did matter because the truck didn't stop.
They collided. She came to a violent and abrupt stop. An airbag appeared from seemingly out of nowhere and punched her in the face. Her shiny little car crumpled around her as shiny little cars are prone to do. Adrenaline flooded her bloodstream. Her heart was pounding. Her breathing was rapid and heavy. The sounds of screeching tires followed by an enormous
BANG and a shower of glass echoed in her mind. Did that really just happen?
She looked around her. She had hit a large tanker truck. They were both stopped now in the middle of the intersection. All the other cars were stopped, blocked by the two vehicles. Everyone was looking at her.
It was then that she realized she had a problem. When she tried to get out of her car she found that couldn't. It was smashed and ruined around her. The dash was right on top of her and the air bag was deflated and sagging on her lap. Her seatbelt was locked up tight and would not let go. Her entire lower half was pinned and pressed underneath the dash. She was stuck there in her car.
"Oh no, oh no, tell me this isn't really happening. I can NOT believe this! I didn't even do anything WRONG!" She began searching for her cell phone. It was right there in her console inside her purse. "Oh, my parents are going to KILL me!" She dialed the number for home.
"Hi. I wasn't expecting to hear from you so soon. Is everything alright?" asked a familiar voice on the other end.
"Mom? I've been in an accident. I'm OK, but my car is smashed. I think I hit a truck. It wasn't my fault, I swear. He must have run the stop sign."
"Oh my God! Are you OK?"
"Yes, I think so. I just can't get out of the car. I'm stuck."
"Oh my God! Your father hasn't left for work yet. I'm going to get him and we'll be right there, OK?"
"OK. Thanks Mom."
It didn't take long for Mom and Dad to arrive. It wasn't that far from home to school, or much of anywhere else in this city. They pulled their car to the side of the road and walked over to their daughter.
"Are you all right, Honey?"
"Yes, but I can't get out, Dad. See? The dash is on top of my legs and my seatbelt is stuck, too. My feet are stuck under there."
"OK, the important thing is that you're all right. We'll get the firemen to come and they'll get you out."
She felt like crying, but she didn't. "It wasn't my fault, Dad."
"I know. I can see that he ran the sign. Hang on, I'm calling for the firemen."
Everything was going to be OK. His angel was fine. The car was a total wreck, but his beautiful 16-year-old daughter was OK and that was the most important thing.
"911. What's your emergency?"
"Hello? Yes, I'm at the intersection of highway 150 and Smith Road and my daughter has been in an accident."
"Is anyone hurt?"
"No, but she's trapped in the car and can't get out. She needs someone to cut her out of the car."
"Alright sir, but no one is injured? Does anyone need a paramedic?"
"No, she's fine. Everyone is fine. We just need the police and someone to cut the car open and get my daughter out."
"Alright sir, there is a firetruck and a police unit already on the way. It'll be just a few minutes."
"Thank you. Thank you very much!"
Time passed. It seemed like an eternity. No police. No firemen. And everyone in all their cars just staring. The truck and wrecked car were all over the intersection. Getting around the accident scene was extremely difficult and traffic was backed up all the way down the road in both directions.
Meanwhile, something was leaking. Something was getting hot. Something was beginning to smolder.
And then it happened.
Fire.
The car was on fire!
"Oh my God, honey, her car is on fire! Look!" she said, pointing to the smoke coming from out of the young girl's car.
"Oh my God! Oh my God!"
Everyone was thinking it. Everyone in their cars in traffic, jammed bumper to bumper at a complete stop, sitting and gawking at the mangled scene was saying it to themselves in unison. "Oh my God! Oh my God! Oh no!"
The smoke turned to fire. Some people sat in their cars, covering their mouths in shock. Some jumped into action, leaping out of their cars and running to the now burning car.
Does anyone have a fire extinguisher? Does anyone have any tools? Can't anyone do something?!
It didn't matter how many people there were. It didn't matter how badly they wanted to pull the 16-year-old girl from out of her now burning car. She was stuck tight. They had no tools. They had no fire extinguishers. They had only the panic of a raging fire and a desperate desire to save a 16-year-old girl from a horrible death.
But they could not.
There, in front of both of her parents, this 16-year-old girl burned to death while trapped inside her car. And there was nothing anyone could do.
This happened this morning sometime between 7 a.m. and 8 a.m. People came into work late, talking about the horrible wreck and the raging fire. Many people said how they had to turn around and find another way to get to their jobs because the police had blocked off the entire highway.
Most people didn't realize that a teenage girl had died right there within sight of them. They knew only that something horrible had happened and that someone's car was burning. Some knew that a person had died, but most had no idea who.
Later that day word began to spread. It was the daughter of someone we all know. It was the child of someone we see every day. Some people asked that we all pray for the family.
I sat there, thinking about this nightmare and wondering how in the world does a parent recover from something like this? I cannot imagine it. I cannot think of a single thing more horrible than watching your own child die this way and not being able to save them.
This is really all that I know to say.
Twenty years ago Joe Montana made history in Super Bowl XXIII at Joe Robbie Stadium in Miami...Montana and teammate Jerry Rice put together one of the greatest Super Bowl final drives in history as San Francisco beat Cincinnati 20-16 in what was Bill Walsh's last game as head coach of 49ers...
ke the tension by pointing out the late comedian John Candy in the stands to his teammates...
The Pittsburgh Steelers were involved in Super Bowl XIII which took place 30 years ago at the Orange Bowl in Miami...it marked the first ever rematch of a previous Super Bowl as the Steelers took on the Dallas Cowboys...the two teams met three years earlier in Super Bowl X...and just like the first time, the Steelers won again, but it was a game in which the Cowboys probably should have taken if not for three plays...
d a sure game tying touchdown (photo)...Dallas had to settle for a Rafael Septien field goal to make it 21-17...
andle the ball because of a cast on his arm...Pittsburgh's Tony Dungy separated the ball from White and Dennis "Dirt" Winston recovered on the Dallas 18-yard line...on the very next play, Bradshaw hit Swann in the back of the endzone to make it 35-17...
This week Stiles Points is going to look back at the anniversaries of some of the past Super Bowls...today's spotlight occurred 40 years ago in Super Bowl III when Joe Namath (photo - right) guaranteed his New York Jets would beat the mighty Baltimore Colts even though they were an 18-point underdog...
Bowl in Miami...this was a game in which the AFL needed to win because the NFL may have pulled out of the merger...in the previous two championship games, the Green Bay Packers smashed their AFL competition...a third straight win by the NFL would have been disastrous for the AFL...the Colts entered the game with a 13-1 mark and a thrashing of the Cleveland Browns in the NFL title game by the score of 34-0....
"From childhood until her final days, Yow engaged in the game she loved, but eventually she transcended it. In a hotly competitive sport, her gentle manner taught mutual respect. And in recent years, her energy drained and her features drawn by cancer, her presence courtside reminded all in the arena that no matter how urgent the contest, it was only a game. What mattered most, Yow said, was winning in life." ... 
y is in on his first ballot - LOCK
t is all...he has 11,271 yards rushing and 70 overall TDs...the early part of his carer was marred by injuries...his best season came in 2003 when he ran for 1,572 yards...Taylor was always underappreciated...he has had a good career, but he never has done anything to stand out...he was never a true difference maker...sorry - NO WAY
On January 13th, Rivals.com updated their Top 100 high school players...the following is the list of the top 30 and where they have verbally committed to..
If I were fortunate enough to be a part of the selection process, here are the people who would have my support to be part of the 2009 Hall of Fame Class...
peer of the Geico gecko (do they ever hang out, compare rates?) and the Verizon guy. She follows in a heady tradition of corporate mascots, from Palmolive's Madge to Tony the Tiger.
