Runaway Truck Ramp

I can't tell you how many times I have driven past that runaway truck ramp after the Eisenhower tunnel on I-70...the one that is at the bottom of the hill on the right-hand side. I will never drive past it again and not think of the phone call I got from Cherill last night.

I will start this post like Cherill started her phone call to me last night. "Everyone is ok...don't worry everyone is ok."

Cherill, her family and about 10 other families/couples were all heading to Grand Junction together yesterday to camp on a friend's property. Cherill's oldest son Bryson, her niece Dakota and Dakota's best friend Jordan were riding in the RV in front of Cherill and Scot's RV. Dakota and Jordan both play on the softball team that I coach. As they come through Eisenhower tunnel...the RV with the kids in it...starts to swerve...madly...Swerving. Cherill gets in touch with Steve and Jill in the RV on a cell phone...THEY HAVE LOST THEIR BRAKES. NO BRAKES. The RV is a $500,000 RV. (OK...Why anyone needs a $500,000 RV is beyond me.... but anyway.) It's 30 feet long...with a 35 foot trailer on the back that is full of motorcycles and ATVs. They are flying down I-70...flying! They are going at least 90 miles per hour...weaving in and out of cars.... with a 65 foot RV and trailer. They make it to the runaway truck ramp... hit the lip...fly about 30 feet in the air... land...then end up going all the way UP the runaway truck ramp...all the way up... and finally...stop...whoa. The runaway truck ramp in only about 30 feet wide...and it's a huge drop off on both sides. Most vehicles either jack-knife or roll off the ramp to one side or another. Their RV didn't...it stayed on the ramp.... and stopped at the top.

The accident blew out several of the windows and tires in the RV...threw everything inside it...everywhere...including the kids and the dogs. It was a mess. The amazing thing is no one...not even the dogs inside the RV were hurt. No one went to the hospital. The entire situation was described as a MIRACLE by everyone there.... all witnesses.

I caught myself thinking several times today...."boy... my day today could have been very bad and sad had things not gone like they did last night." I counted my lucky stars...over and over...and over. It's close calls like that...that make the little things that seem so trivial & upsetting...seem like a day at the beach. *Deep breaths*