"Two-Car MVA, No Injuries."

There I was yesterday, chatting on the phone, when I heard a thump and crunch. I could see out the window that one car kept going after the vehicles in front of it had stopped. What the cops call a two-car motor vehicle accident.

As I picked up the phone to call 911, I looked for injuries, fluids down and anything else they would like to know. Unfortunately, the 911 operator I called wasn’t the sharpest knife in the drawer. I had to explain everything twice before he got it.

The woman who was trying out to be a crash-test dummy apparently was well-belted, as there wasn’t a mark on her windshield. Her young children were also in very good shape as she rushed them from the car to a nearby house porch. The car itself looked much like the “after” picture of a crash test. I was surprised how much energy was dissipated in the area before the passenger compartment.

A few minutes after I called 911 (and I’m willing to bet the person I contacted did not, himself, know the phone number for 911), the cops arrived, followed by a fire truck and ambulance. In time, came the tow trucks.

Now the speculation. What sort of reception would she receive when she returned home? Would it be: (a) “Honey, you’re safe, the kids are safe; we can replace the car”; (b) “I’m glad you’re safe, but I told you not to let the kids distract you. Now we’ve got this mess to deal with”; or (c) “[basically language and violence that does not belong in this blog].”