I got a lot of things done today, and I felt good about that, but that was all superseded but this afternoon’s adventure. When I went to work this morning the internet was down. Ken called Comcast and they were sending someone out between 2 and 4pm. So I said I’d be back at 4pm to finish what I couldn’t do early. It was the adventure at 4:30pm that shook up the day – quite literally.
Front of building. My office window is to the left of the door.
I was sitting at my desk in the front of the building – which is directly in front of the window. I couldn’t get the USPS site to work, so I asked Ken to help. We went into Rege’s desk in the back, and still had trouble. I was looking over his shoulder when the loudest explosion-type noise that I every heard hit the building. I grabbed his shoulders and buried my head in his back. He yelled and jumped up – Barry came flying into the front room and yelled, ‘A car just drove through the building.’
It missed my window by a few feet and knocked the porch completely down, and crashed into the outside wall by the stairwell. We couldn’t even open the door to get out, and the stairs were blocked. Apparently a guy went through the intersection, straight across 6 lanes of Route 30, and full throttle hit the building. A man in a pickup who was behind him followed him over, jumped out and called 9-1-1. The first responder on the scene made us come out of the building in case it was compromised. I grabbed the checkbook and what I was working on, as well as my purse and phone. (Can’t leave my work undone!)
Once we were out, we weren’t allowed to go back in. So Ken, Barry and I stood outside and watched the parking lot fill up with police, fire trucks, rescue squad, ambulance – whatever could fit. The ambulance personnel did get the guy out, and took him to the hospital. The car was holding up the building so they couldn’t move it at that point. One of the fire crew secured the porch roof with wooden posts. The police and the fire department took our names and contact information and asked us what we saw. I didn’t see anything until it was over, but I sure heard it.
The temperature fell and the wind kicked up and it started to sprinkle rain. When I left the house it was sunny and balmy so I didn’t have a jacket. The parking lot was full of emergency vehicles, so finally the officer accompanied Ken into the building to get the keys for all the cars. Ken and Barry moved a few and opened up a place to get out onto Route 30. Rege came about 15 minutes later, trying to make sense of everything. I left there about 6pm, came home and took two Tylenol and had a cup of tea. It’s something I won’t forget in a long time. NO idea how long it will take to sure up the building or when they will let us back in, or what it will take to repair it.
Right before I left a new helicopter hovered over the site, and then a reporter was walking around. I was glad I left before I had to talk to him. Business has been slow through fall and winter, and had just started to pick up, and now this. I feel so bad for everyone – the man in the car, the owners, those of us who work there. So now, we wait. But I am very thankful none of us were hurt and that so many caring, efficient people came as first responders to make sure we were safe. God bless them, every one!
SCRIPTURE of the DAY:
PEANUTS?
TOMORROW April 4th is:
404 Day; Discover National Parks Fortnight; International Carrot Day; Jeep 4×4 Day (I just got a Cherokee to drive this morning!); National Hug a Newsperson Day (And here I was trying to avoid one!); National Picky Eaters Day; National Walk Around Things Day; School Librarian Day; Tell a Lie Day (um, not!); Vitamin C Day; Walk to Work Day.
I’m not sure I’ll have a job to walk to for a while. It’s better to walk around things than to trip over them. I’m glad to have a few days off after the trauma this afternoon. God bless — us all!
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