The Easter Wreck

On Sunday night, April 16, 2006, Benn, Amanda and pre-born Noah were hit by a drunk driver as they were traveling back from a holiday visit with their families here in Alexandria.

Around 10:30 a drunk driver headed north in the south bound lanes of Louisiana Highway 415, a divided highway that connects U.S. 190 with I-10, just to the west of Baton Rouge.  The first vehicle the drunk man hit with his Dodge Ram 1500 pickup truck was a Toyota Corolla.  There were two young women inside.  His truck then went airborne and began to turn counterclockwise, colliding almost upside-down with the driver's side of the Acura MDX driven by Benn.  As you can see from the photographs below, the MDX was hit both on the side and the roof.  The MDX did a lot better job protecting its occupants than did the Corolla.

Family members began leaving Alexandria as soon as we were telephoned.  Amanda was discharged from Baton Rouge General Hospital around 4:45 in the morning, and her mother is staying with her for a few days.

We give thanks to Almighty God who protected our family.  Scripture teaches that he has appointed his angels to serve us.

Hebrews 1:14, "Are not all angels ministering spirits sent to serve those who will inherit salvation?"

Matthew 18:10, "See that you do not look down on one of these little ones. For I tell you that their angels in heaven always see the face of my Father in heaven." 

We are grateful that little Noah's angel was doing his job.

Amen.  Praise the Lord.

After we woke up later in the morning on Monday, Benn and I visited the vehicles.  If you click on the small photographs below, you can see them full-sized.  Our family is profoundly blessed.

Dodge Ram 1500 This photo demonstrates that the head-on collision was slightly off-centered, with the two vehicles connecting more on their passengers' sides than with their drivers' sides.	Dodge Ram 1500 The Dodge Ram 1500 hit the Toyota Corolla head-on, and the passengers' sides of both vehicles bore the brunt of the force. This caused the pickup not only to become airborne but also to begin turning counterclockwise. The result was that the lighter and more flexible upper side of the pickup made contact with the Acura rather than the heavier, more solid frame and motor.	Toyota Corolla Modern vehicles are designed to buckle in such a way that the passengers' area is protected more than any other part. But the Corolla was no match for the heavy Dodge Ram 1500.	Toyota Corolla The two occupants of the Toyota Corolla had to be cut out of their car. The passenger's side significantly gave way to the force of the much stronger and heavier Dodge Ram.	Toyota Corolla This was a four-door sedan.	Toyota Corolla The airbags deployed and protected the upper parts of their bodies, but the lower part of the passenger section gave way under the force of the pickup truck and pinned the passenger's legs inside the vehicle. Thank God that no gas tanks exploded.	Acura MDX The top of the Dodge Ram and connected with the driver's side of the Acura MDX, cutting through part of the roof . The Acura is a very well built vehicle.	Acura MDX The only glass that broke on the Acura was the driver's window. Amanda, Benn and their little dog, Henri, were sprayed with shards of glass, some of which had to be removed at the hospital.