The Ride Home From Coco Beach

THE RIDE HOME FROM COCO BEACH

We were driving back to the hotel at 70 miles an hour on the interstate when a major rain storm hit, we could hardly see and then it happened. It was like something right out of Nascar - cars going airborne spinning and crashing into each other. I watched cars right in front me plowing into the guard rail and into each other -- I saw a blue mustang leap into the air spin and land in the center ditch. I saw parts of cars flying into the air out of control. All of this was happening 10 yards -directly in front of me. I heard a calm voice in my mind say Mike drive to the left up through the median - through the water and stop up on the side of grass of the median -- don't go too far or you will plow into oncoming traffic. It seemed easy and even as if someone took the wheel and guided me through all of the spinning cars and crashed vehicles. We came to a stop. Kathy complimented me on my driving. I thought wow! Immediately Kathy and I got out too assist all the others trapped in wrecked in vehicles. One lady was wondering around in shock -- her car was still running and smoking. I asked her if I could shut her car off -- she said sure. So I climbed in to the smoking car and turned off the engine. I must admit I was concerned about it blowing up. But I knew in my heart I needed to shut off the car or it would catch fire. We then assisted others -- everyone seemed stunned and thankful that there were no life and death situations. The two in the mustang were hurt the worse. I went over to talk to the driver who was the mom and her young daughter. They were in pain -- in their necks -- so me and another man told them not to move. We called 911 and then turned around to witness another pile up behind us about 100 yards another car had plowed into the back of the stopped cars. It hit one and was launched into the air it came down nose first into the middle of the median strip down into the standing water.

Within 5 minutes the fire men showed on the accident scene. They blocked 1 lane off on the other side of the highway and started treating the injured.

As we were there waiting to be allowed to go another man form the other side of road ran over. He said my dad is having a heart attack in the van right now. So they immediately went and helped him. Three people that evening were placed into ambulances and rushed to the hospital.

The highway patrol man came up to me and said. Did you hit anyone I smiled and said "No sir!' He looked at our car and all the accidents around it and said -- "You did a good job getting out of the way." But I thought, "I really followed the inner voice of the Lord and He protected us this day -- thank you Lord!"

He then helped us to get out of the traffic snare and we proceed back to the Convention. We drove with thank full hearts and we thought "Wow -- the awesome protection of God." We knew that it could have only been His divine protection and guidance!

We were both once again awed by God.