This is definitely not the blog post I wanted to write, but I am fortunate to be alive and well enough to write it.
Yesterday, at approximately 11:15 AM U.S. Central Daylight Time, plus or minus half an hour, my mother passed out behind the wheel of her 2000 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 regular cab pickup truck as she was traveling southbound on Illinois Route 1, locally known as State Street in Westville, Illinois, near the intersection with McKinley Street in Westville. The truck, with me in the passenger seat and my mom physically unable to control the vehicle, drifted rightward off of State Street and hit a telephone pole and/or a tree at the intersection of State Street and West Williams Street, with at least one of them narrowly preventing us from crashing clear into a real estate office owned by my paternal aunt. Both of us were wearing seatbelts, and the truck had driver-side and passenger-side front airbags, both of which deployed. The site of the crash was half of a block away from the Westville Fire Protection District station, as a result, first responders were able to respond to the crash quickly. I thank all of the first responders who responded to the crash and were able to get my mother and I to the hospital.
My mom suffered only very minor bruises, in addition to an aggravation of a spinal condition she has had for many years, as a result of the crash itself, however, as she was unresponsive due to the medical condition that caused her to pass out behind the wheel, she had to be carried out of the car by emergency medical technicians and into an ambulance. I suffered skin abrasions on both arms and a deep bruise on the upper half of my lower right leg. Both of us were taken in the same ambulance to OSF Sacred Heart Medical Center in Danville, Illinois and were released from the emergency room a few hours later. X-rays and CT scans were performed on me to check for broken bones and/or a closed head injury, but, thankfully, no bones were broken, and I did not sustain a closed head injury.
As for the truck, although I don't think a formal assessment has been done yet, the truck is almost certainly totaled and too damaged to be repaired. The truck was purchased by my late father 22 years ago, and it served my family well for 22 years. The truck had state minimum insurance on it, and my mom will be filing an insurance claim later today. My mom and I no longer have a motor vehicle to do important tasks like grocery shopping and other important errands, my mom is unlikely to be medically cleared to drive a motor vehicle again, and, if my mom and I were able to afford and obtain a vehicle, I would likely have to get a driver's license.
Regarding my writing projects, YouTube channel, and podcast, I am fortunate that I am physically able to continue work on my book writing projects, YouTube channel, and podcast! Additionally, I am considering launching my own freelance writing and/or editing business.
I have set up a GoFundMe page so that anyone can donate money to my mom and I to help pay for medical, legal, transportation, and other expenses incurred as a result of the crash. The GoFundMe page can be found here. Any donation amount is appreciated! If you can't donate, share the link with others who can.
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