Incident On I-59

Headed home from a business trip Tired, spaced out, grouchy and impatient Pushing the limit to beat rush hour traffic Fast closing on an old jalopy van Suddenly blue smoke and debris flying The back tire must have bounced twenty feet up My first thought, 'Stay STRAIGHT you bastard!' Careening violently left, it flipped many times (Several objects were ejected from the doors) My next thought...'This is NOT my problem!' 'DAMN!' Slam on the brakes at the last second Then it hit me. I was the first on the scene... I would guess it took a full minute to cross over Cars whizzing and blowing by in both lanes Obviously it was not their problem either... (Someone else has stopped, they'll handle it! Besides, there's a game coming on tonight) I waved my arms, shouting and pointing… A woman was lying near the wreckage, wailing in robotic, shock induced screams Left arm beneath her back with her right arm twisted at a bizarre and unnatural angle One man was thrown at least twenty feet off Ironically, he seemed the least injured He kept trying to get up for some reason I rushed over and asked him to stay down "Okay, but the baby!...Where is the baby?" (A baby, you mean there's a BABY??) "Yes, our BABY...Please go find our baby!" (Oh no dear God please, no, NO) The median was a wide, steep-banked grassy ditch The van was tilted slightly sideways on its roof Legs rubbery and trembling, stomach churning, sweat streaming and stinging blurry eyes, I staggered over to the wreckage, knelt down and peered through the passenger side window Empty… (Oh no dear God please, no, NO) Stumbling around back and then alongside, scanning the grass and then around front I almost tripped over it. There he was Maybe five feet from the bumper he sat upright still tucked safely away in his baby seat kicking and cooing, giggling and drooling, obviously having a wonderful time I collapsed to my knees, bowed my head down and feverishly began to unbuckle him but quickly thought better, fearing unseen injury Instead, I took his head gently with both hands, kissed his forehead and nuzzled against his neck (Babies have that particular scent, you know) I recall glancing upward to clear blue skies, muttering and mumbling incoherent thanks...