I have posted this photo before. Well it needed to be posted again today on Pandemic Christmas 2021.

Today, Christmas morning, on my way to work at 0730, December 25, 2021, I came upon a Dodge Durango spun-out facing the wrong way, frontend bashed in, bumper in the road before it, splayed across the old 110 south / 5 freeway two lane interchange. It’s the area just before this photo.

Let me illustrate to scare the bejesus out of you.

RIGHT HERE: https://goo.gl/maps/BTu1zYkfsuheVuRy9

The car was facing the wrong direction in oncoming traffic coming around a blind curve.

A women sat alone in the driver seat on the phone with her hand over her face. It was a dark grey, cold, gloomy morning, and it was raining hard.

Slowly I drove past trying to figure out if she was alright. Cars speed by and I was unsure if it was safe to pullover. I did anyway. I called 911 and gave the location and information, then was transferred to the fire department to give them the location for an ambulance. Just then another car pulled over in front of me and a young man got out and walked to her car as I did. I told him I had already called 911.

The woman, about 65, was on the phone with her son and I think she had not even called 911.

The wonderful young man who pulled over told me he was on his way from Las Vegas to see his mother and had seen five accidents on the way, and “I just could not drive by and not stop”. I think we both saw our own mothers in this woman and had the same reaction. He a 30something black man, me a 50something white woman, and she a 60something Hispanic mother on her way, I’m guessing, to see her son and grandchildren for Christmas morning.

We decided we better get her car moved back and at least only blocking one lane. There is no emergency lane on this old freeway built in the 1950’s. We got her out of the car. He drove the car back, and I grabbed the bumper out of the road. To our rescue, the fire department ambulance arrived and blocked traffic for us. I asked the young man’s name and shook his hand and told him he was a good person and Merry Christmas. I asked the woman her name and put my arm around her and told her I was sorry this happened to her today, but so glad she was OK. She leaned in and I hugged her. The paramedics started to assess her. She said a car hit her and did not stop. A hit and run. I gave her my contact card for if the CHP needed to talk to me. The young man, whose name I admit I forgot, left too. I shook his hand again and told him again what a good person he was for stopping and Merry Christmas.

Work was thankfully uneventful, and I got to leave a couple hours early to come home to The Husband roasting a brined chicken for holiday dinner!

Merry Christmas everyone! May your world be filled with people who still act on goodwill, rather than just pulling out their phones and video tapping the tragedy before them, or zooming by when you are in distress. May we all see our loved ones in those in need.

PS: Most times it is best to drive by and call 911 rather than pullover on a freeway with oncoming traffic. Safety first friends.

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COVID-19 Pandemic… December 25th, 2021

Photo © Jennifer Emery

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The Emery Pandemic Report

A Pandemic Christmas, 2021