you know a criminal

I had an interesting day yesterday. We took the kids to the Topeka Zoo. It's an annual trip w/ all the babysitting kids. We had a nice day at the zoo, then a picnic lunch, then a little train trip around the zoo. Lots of fun. So we're on the way home and I accidentally cut this lady off while trying to get over in the next lane on the interstate. She over corrected and ended up hitting the concrete barrier instead of hitting me. That blew her tire and she did this ping ponging into three lanes of traffic. I saw all of this happening in my rear view mirror and realized what had happened. I get off to the side and run a sprint as fast as my fat *&^ can carry me to make sure she is okay. In the meantime; six children are all in my minivan 1/4 mile down the road off the interstate at rush hour. The girl turns out to be fine. Her car is totaled, but she is fine. I give her all the information she would need (and more) and we mutually agree since no one is hurt and since there was no contact between our two cars; we would both leave. 30 minn later....................Trooper Smith calls me. "Melissa, this is trooper Smith. What happened?" (I tell the story. ) "So why did you leave?" (I explain myself. And I remind him I had a car load of children who's parents were expecting them) He informs me I left the scene of an accident and he is sending a trooper after me. I tell him I'm 10 minutes away from dropping the children. Can I just drop the kids and come back? "No. I need to turn my butt around and get back to this accident and park in front of her car." Then he tells me to stay available on my cell phone. He's going to call me back. I'm just sick. I felt like I was going to puke. I call Steve. I drop the kids in Kearney and make my sister haul them the rest of the way to her house where the parents are coming. About 10 minutes go by and I still haven't heard from Trooper Smith, so I call him and tell him I've dropped the kids and I can come back now. He's a different person. He's super sweet. And assures me it's okay and I can go home. He calls me sweetie and tells me he will call me later to finish up the paperwork. He's just glad everyone is okay.

I would NEVER have left is anyone was hurt. Or if I had hit anyone. And I don't think I would have stopped or given any of my information if I was drunk or on drugs or had a warrant out for my arrest. Our theory is the trooper was new to the job and just wasn't sure how to handle the situation. Once he spoke to his supervisor; he was a whole new person. And I'm so relieved! For a while; I was looking in my rear view mirror for lights and expecting to be handcuffed in front of a van full of children.

They wrote it up as a no contact accident. I won't even get a ticket. I'm not sure about the insurance deal. I will find out this week. But who cares? I didn't go to jail. Nor did I leave the scene of an accident.