Cactus Club
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Ice Threat
Ice Incident Accident About February 1973 we had a warm spell after much snow. Then the temperature dipped to zero which immediately froze all the water from the melting snow. There was a meeting for dairy farmers in McHenry, Illinois. It closed that day about 2:30 pm. We packed our equipment for the trip back to Joliet. Bud and Morrie, staff members, were in one car. I was driving the station wagon loaded with projectors, screens, easels, a podium and other “meeting” related equipment. It was Wednesday. Bud and Morrie had gone ahead of me. About 4 miles out of town, on a long straight stretch of road, I watched pieces of ice fall from an oncoming truck. The ice particles would make a “splash” of crystals as they hit the concrete. Rather pretty in a way. Every time the truck crossed a tar strip in the road, more ice would fall because of the truck’s bounce. I was going about 55 mph and the truck was probably going about the same speed. As it neared me, I looked up to see a large chunk of ice fall off the truck and it was heading for my windshield. I realized it was going to hit me right above the steering wheel and I did not have time to unfasten my seat belt. I had taken my foot off the gas. Now I strained to get my body as near the center of the seat and my head as high as I could under the steel roof. The ice hit with a terrible crash...it exploded like a bomb and wrapped the broken windshield around my head. The truck continued on down the road, unaware of what had happened. There were no other cars on the road. I was able to find the brake pedal and come to a halt on the side of the road. I pushed away the glass wrapped around my head and saw a farm yard across the road. I drove in and stopped. Knocking on the door, a man came and opened it. He told me I was all bloody and had a lot of glass in my face. He drove me to the hospital emergency room and waited until a doctor could see me. The doctor told the nurse to clean me up. She said, “I don’t know where to start”. My face was numb so I asked for a wash basin, some soap and a towel. I took my fingernails and with soap started pulling glass shards out. After a while I felt it was good enough to dry and move on. The doctor looked it over and asked about my last tetanus shot. I was driven back to the farm house by the man (who happened to be a deputy sheriff) and tried to drive the station wagon. Bits of glass flew off the dash board and began hitting me in the face. I realized that on one of the large easels was a state map, covered with clear plastic. By getting this large sheet of clear plastic around my head I could drive and be protected from flying glass. It was slow going but I pulled into the parking lot at First Baptist Church in Plainfield. They were having a midweek prayer service. I told them what happened and they praised the Lord that I was still alive. Joliet was 8 miles down the road. I took pictures the next morning for insurance purposes. I still thank the Lord for sparing me in this incident. (I will try to include a photo here). Isaiah 40: 31 “ But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.” |
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