So Totally Not My Fault

Last night I was on the phone with my brother-in-law, insisting that he could let me drive his new Lexus sometime because even though I appear at times to be a terrible driver, I have never been in an accident.*

Today I was in an accident. How's that for ironic?

For those overprotective relatives reading this (Mom) I will say right up front that it was a minor accident and everyone is fine.

As I have indicated in the title of this post, it was SO TOTALLY NOT MY FAULT! This is what happened: I picked up Rebecca from the day care and was on my way to pick up Ben from preschool. I was waiting to turn out of our development onto a busy road at rush hour. An old lady was standing on the median in the middle of the street waiting to cross. There was no light or crosswalk or anything. There was a break in the traffic. I started to turn. The old lady stepped off the median and into the path of my car. I stopped suddenly. The car behind me (also waiting to turn) rear-ended me.

It felt like a pretty hard hit, but happily my car was only very minorly damaged. I cannot say the same for the hood of her Cadillac though, which was pretty well smashed. Since I drive a big car (Honda Pilot) the hood of her car hit the rubber rear bumper of my car, scratched it up a bit, and popped out one of the reflector thingies (which didn't even break).

The woman driving the Cadillac was very nice and very sorry, the old lady was very nice and very sorry, and a woman who witnessed the accident and stopped was very nice and very indignant at the old lady for stepping in front of my car. Rebecca (my only passenger) was indignant at me for leaving her in the car while I got out to talk to all of the above-mentioned people, but fine.

Anyway, I got the woman's insurance information (turned out she has USAA same as we do) so I am sure getting my very minorly damaged car repaired will be no problem.

*Except for one accident when I was 16 and had just gotten my learner's permit (so totally my fault) and two car vs cement pole in parking garage incidents. (Two separate cars, same garage, two different poles).