Tragedy Here On the Block
Wow. Yesterday was one of those days where you are surrounded by accidents and sure you are next, at least for me.As I was making my way home from work yesterday (because the markets closed early ahead of the holiday), I came into bumper-to-bumper traffic on the interstate. Now, that wouldn't be particularly unusual, considering the expected mass exodus of Illinoians out of that state and into ours on summer weekends and long weekends in particular, but this was different. For one thing, it was much earlier in the day that that sort of thing begins (normally) and for another, it was confined to a 4-mile stretch where two interstates meet.
It turns out that earlier in that same area there was a vehicle pulling a camper that had rolled over. Nobody was hurt, but still - near miss, if you know what I mean.
I get off the interstate at my normal exit and notice that traffic is again sluggish and oddly so. It starts to pick up, however, and soon we are humming along. But, as soon as I get north of DeForest, traffic has stopped. No crawling, just stopped. So, I call the sitter and let her know that I'm going to be late. She informs me that there was an accident about 3 miles ahead of where I was and that I should turn off and find another way home. I call Prince Charming and give him a head's up and ask what alternate route would be best.
Cars ahead of me start to bail out of line and I follow suit, back-tracking through the country and finally making my way to our hometown. When I pull up at the sitter's, she informs me that the accident I just avoided was a fatality and that there's another one on my street.
What?!?
We live on just about the sleepiest town I've ever seen (outside of Kansas). I mean, our excitement is when an ambulance shows up or when the cops pull over a speeder! Apparently the sitter's neighbor is an EMT or something and said yes - there was an accident with a garbage truck on our street. I roll home and soon discover the truth of those words. Turns out the garbage man was run over by his own truck and died. Horrible tragedy, just horrible. Nobody seems to know exactly what caused it - whether the man failed to engage the brake properly or whether it was a mechanical failure. However, it happened right in front of a cop's house and he tried to revive the man with CPR, but it wasn't happening. Soon there were a bajillion flashing lights and a police line and a news truck.
Bad deal. Just awful.
The whole neighborhood was out talking about it.
I guess when it is your time, it is your time.
