I was in a motor vehicle accident this past Thursday, October 13th. I was on my way home from working a 12 hour shift at my job as a clinical tech at a local hospital. It was 9 pm, dark and there was a horrible thunder storm with thunder, lightning and pouring rain. As I was driving West on Interstate 66 in the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia I hit a large black bear. The impact deployed both air bags in the 1998 Ford Escort ZX2 Sport.

Somehow I made it to the side of the road and I was ok but very shaken up. I called 911 and soon a state trooper and the fire department arrived. When I told them I hit a bear they couldn’t believe it. The only damage to the car was the driver side headlight was broken, the windshield was cracked (probably from the dashboard cover over the passenger side air bag) and there were two dents in the driver side door. When the tow truck arrived we were able to start the car to drive it up on the flat bed. Yes it started!

Sadly the bear did not survive, but I did. I have always driven foreign cars, but my next vehicle will be a Ford. That 1998 Escort saved my life!