My granddaughter and I had just left the Point Loma area after dropping off cookie dough from her fundraiser to her paternal grandmother and uncle. We were then heading to North County to deliver a tin of popcorn to tenants at a property I manage. While driving, I prayed for any and everyone connected to me for protection in all of its forms.

On that cold and rainy night, I was driving in the third lane of the four-lane freeway. I ran over something in the road on the passenger side. My granddaughter said it was a long block of wood. I could hear a blub, blub, blub, blub and then the tires were no longer inflated. I pulled over to the first lane and put on my hazard lights. Unfortunately, there was no service lane so I parking alongside the concrete girders lining the freeway. I got out to check the damage. The front and rear passenger-side tires were shredded. I called Triple A and shortly thereafter I heard a screech at the rear of my car and shortly thereafter I heard a bang. A car had crashed into a car that had slightly swerved and missed hitting my car. I called Triple A again and said they should hurry, this was not a safe place to be stopped.

Sadly, those barreling on to the freeway did not notice the brake lights nor hazard lights. It turned into a 7 car wreck but my car had not been touched other than the tires. The police showed up. One officer put out flares behind his vehicle and was shooing cars away with flares in his hand. People still weren’t paying attention to the flares he had laid along the ground, nor the police car with the flashing lights. Thankfully, everyone was safe.

As I drive by that area today, a car can now safely pull onto that shoulder with ease without impacting others with it’s newly paved shoulder and concrete girders in place! Thank you!

Rhonda B. The AVON Lady