Dale's Angel Business

(August, 2002)

Dale did big Angel Business of his own the last couple of days. 

We went to Rome, GA, because my oldest cousin was killed in a car crash. Not his fault, and a really bad wreck, like my Dad's.

We at first thought we would stay and visit around Rome for a few days, but both got the feeling we should just start back home.   At Elko, GA we pulled off for pit stop.

There had just been a really bad accident. The lady driving a van was fine, not a scratch, but her van was hit on the rear passenger side and completely crushed in. An 80-ton logging truck hit her from behind, left of center, as she pulled into the gas station. It spun her around so many times, she was still head drunk.  The only part of the van not crushed was her passenger compartment.

It happened at about 11:00 a.m. She was about 68, by herself, coming back from her nice stepmom's funeral in Indiana, on her way home to Ft Myers, FL. Had her family's little precious things in the van. Most were completely wrecked.

The police and bystanders were involved with the vehicles, but no one was taking care of the lady driver.

We asked if she needed help, and she did. Dale said we could stay and help her get sorted out or whatever she might need. We learned that she is a heart bypass survivor, and had brain surgery just a few years ago.

Dale locked up her purse and night bag in our truck for safekeeping while she dealt with other stuff. He stayed with her van while it was towed across the road to an impound lot so she could come in out of the heat. It was about 1:00 pm in south Georgia in the middle of August, so that was nice.

The loggers told their side of the story to the Sheriff and then the Sheriff came in to tell her that she was at fault.

We asked him to draw a little sketch of what he thought happened. He showed her vehicle was already across the middle line, turning into the gas station, when she was hit. The trucker behind the logger was the first witness, and he claimed that they were only going 50 mph. Maybe so. Maybe not.

Three of her wheels had the tires torn off them, and the rims had dug into the pavement from the impact. She said that she had looked and no one was in sight in either direction as she entered the main road. The logger claimed he had topped the bridge and she pulled out in front of him suddenly. He said he was trying to avoid hitting her, and that's why he was across the centerline.

We told the Sheriff that it looked to us like she was already about 400 ft from where she entered the main road when he hit her and that it looked like the logger just didn't slow down, and was across the center line. We were nice, but persistent in asking him questions.

He called his Sheriff Supervisor to come review the accident with him. They checked the measurements, and the Supervisor explained to the Sheriff why the lady was not at fault at all. KEWL! Those B-Law classes paid off.

We made calls to her insurance company, to their claims office, and to her Ft. Myers local agent until that was all taken care of. One of us stayed with her the whole time.

There are no car rentals in Elko, GA that have mini-vans and will let you drive one-way out of state. So, Dale offered to take the lady and her van contents to at least Orlando, and if necessary, on to Ft. Myers. There was really no other option for her.

Dale had me drive his Explorer over to the weedy, muddy, impound lot. He climbed into and out of her crushed van until every little thing was retrieved, and we carefully put it all in the back of Dale's SUV. He asked her to be sure that she hadn't forgotten anything in any little tucked away places in the van. She remembered she had almost $100 cash in a side compartment that she uses for gas and emergencies, and they retrieved that.

He drove us to Orlando, and we got in late that evening, about 9:00 p.m., I think.

She stayed the night in our spare room. We had taken off suddenly on Wednesday for the funeral and had left the house in a mess. Dale made the spare room bed up with clean sheets while I cleaned up the house. She slept well all night.

In the morning we had a little breakfast, then he drove her out to the Orlando Airport to pick up her rental. He took all of her stuff out of his truck and loaded it into the rental for her.

There were some big road closures on the normal route from the airport to the Interstate at that time. Dale was concerned that she would have trouble getting out of the city.  He drove all the way past the detours with her following in the rental until she was safely on the Interstate heading towards her home.

You can see why we think he's the best.

"Only a man's character is the real criterion of worth."

Eleanor Roosevelt

"Blessed is the person who sees the need, recognizes the responsibility,

and actively becomes the  answer."

William A. Ward