What I Did on My Summer Vacation: Walked Away from This…

On Father’s Day, while we were headed east on the Pennsylvania Turnpike, on our way to a family vacation in Amish country, the steering on our 1992 Taurus gave out. The car spun out in the grassy median, flipped over, and came to rest partially in a westbound lane.–Dennis G. Jerz


What I Did on My Summer Vacation: Walked Away from This… (Jerz’s Literacy Weblog)

This wasn’t a lot of fun to experience, but if you’ve got to be involved in a rollover accident, I strongly recommend that you become involved in one that doesn’t kill anyone.

On this blog, I don’t want to talk about what might have caused the accident, and I’m not seeking advice on what to do next. Anyone who’s had a close brush with death sees life as more precious.

My son dictated his description of the accident in a letter he wants me to give to his piano teacher. He ended it with, “Well, I hope you’re glad we survived.”

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  • Hi Dennis

    Checked your blog last weekend when I heard about John Lovas and figured you must be on vacation. Having just checked again today to see and read about this, I am in shock. I am so glad you and the family are ok and that you shared your son's witty remark to calm us down. Take care and know that you're in my prayers.

  • Thanks for your kind words....

    I'm beginning to wonder whether I should have tempered my own desire to write about the accident, since I certainly didn't intend to upset anyone. My primary emotions contniue to be relief and joy -- it could have been so much worse, and it wasn't.

  • So scary, and so relieving that you and your family weren't more seriously injured. Some bad luck followed immediately by some very very good luck.

  • Thanks for all your kind words. Matt, that's a good one... any accident in which people can walk away from it isn't a terrible one. Scary, yes, but so many things that could have been slightly different weren't. The glass is definitely half full.

  • Wow....I don't know what to say. Glad everyone is okay. Not to make light of a terrible accident, but see what happens when you go offline for a week?

  • I'm so sorry to see that this happened, but so very glad that it turned out ok. Take care,--Billie

  • These accidents remind us how lucky we are. I saw a similar accident today on the way to Barnes and Noble. Across from the mall, a car was toppled over and looked very similar to the position your car was in. It just reminds us how volitile our temporal lives are. I guess we just have to make the most of what we have.

  • I've been caught in one of those, although not one as intense as that. I hope that you and your family are doing better Dr. Jerz. I'm glad that everyone made it out alive and safe.

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