Wrecked my car today

[Willow]

Didn't do any damage to the body, but to the undercarriage we think I did some. I ripped off the brake lines, there was a strong smell of gas, and the front makes a crunching noise now.

I was going home from my mom's after dropping off some presents for my brother that she said she would mail out with her gifts to him so we both weren't paying shipping. Well it started to snow and the roads were starting to get covered so I told mom I wanted to head home before the roads got bad.

About five miles from home I hit a slick spot and I slid backwards over an embankment. I had my 3 year old with me. I let my foot off the gas when I first felt myself slide, and I didn't touch the brakes. The car just developed a mind of its own and even though I turned into the slide, like my mom and husband always say you should do, my rear end of my car still slid around. I was going around a turn and I barely missed an electric pole. As soon as my rear tires hit the pea gravel at the edge of the road I knew I was heading over the embankment and I panicked at that point. I smashed my foot on the brakes trying to stop my car but it didn't help and the car slid about 70 foot off the edge of the road. The embankment was so steep that I was terrified my car was going to roll because I started over at an angle. Then the car kind of straightened out and I went straight backwards. Plowed right through a bunch of dead multiflora rose bushes with big ugly thorns. Ernie says I am lucky my tires aren't flat.

That wasn't even the scariest part though. I asked my son if he was ok and he said yes so I told him to stay put and I shut the car off, grabbed my keys, and started towards to road to flag down the first person who passed. I couldn't get up the embankment because it was too steep and slick with the snow, but thankfully the first vehicle by was a semi truck and he seen me and stopped and tried to call for help on his cell, but he couldn't get a signal. Another car stopped, said they would go turn around, come back and get me and take me to a house that I had just passed. Well that guy had kind of creeped me out, but thankfully a state salt truck came by (they had just started salting the roads and it was like 11:30 am!) and he told me to get up in the truck and he would take me in to the Outpost 1 mile away. I said I had my son in the car and I would have to get him. He said ok, just make it quick because it wasn't a good place to be stopped. Well, I couldn't climb the embankment with my son in my arms, so I pushed him up to the top and literally scrambled up on my knees...but my son had walked into the road!!! I was screaming for him to come back to me and to stay out of the road and the salt truck driver was telling him to go back and stay put. I barely remember climbing that embankment I just know I got up and scooped him off the road and stuffed him into the truck.

The cops were called but since I didn't do any damage that they could see I didn't get a citation or a ticket. He just had my car towed out and the driver of the tow truck was a friend of ours so he checked out my car before he would let me in it. Turns out I had no brakes! So he towed it into the local chevy garage to get an estimate and tomorrow morning I get a rental. But boy it sure was a day!

[Marilyn]

Oh, my, this must have been a terrifying experience!! So glad you and your son are okay. Hope the damage is not too costly. I can't imagine living where the roads get bad like that. When we get the least bit of ice around here, everything shuts down. I worry about family driving here. It would be so much worse there. Your family must be so relieved that you are well. Hope you don't have an event like this again ever!!

[Janet]

That had to have been so terrifying!!! The roads get back like that here too. I hate driving on the ice, but feel safer driving my bus than my van. My son is getting his license soon and I am scared to death. I know I won't be letting him drive on slick roads until he gets more experience. I usually just stay home and safe. Thank God you and your son are okay!

[DianaB]

I'm glad that you and your son are alright. That would have been really scary to have slid down an embankment like that. At least you don't have any damage to the outside of the car, except maybe a few scratches. Thank goodness people were willing to stop and help.

[khardy57]

Thank God you and your son are all right! I can't imagine how scared you were! You see cars go over embankments on tv all the time and even seeing it on tv scares me.

[Tink]

I'm so glad you're both alright!
That is by far the most important point.
I've driven all of my adult life on Wisconsin winter roads, so have had a couple of episodes that made my heart race. I know it can get pretty scary when you have no control like that.

I hope the repairs don't cost you a bundle. Thank God people were willing to hlep you.