Ray, Rachael, Luna and I were walking out of a Thai restaurant this evening, just about to step off the curb, when a car came racing around the corner on the road right in front of us. Behind that car was a police car in hot pursuit. Rachael saw the driver of the first car: a young white male behind the wheel of the late model SUV.
We watched as the car and police car drove at a fast pace through the parking lot, then turned on a road on the other side before both sped off into the distance. Shortly afterward, we saw at least twenty police cars heading off in the direction of the SUV and the other police car. Within minutes, a police helicopter was circling a few miles away with its high beam aimed down into a neighborhood.
We all stood, stunned. If we had stepped into the road literally 10 seconds earlier, we easily could have been hit by the speeding driver. The police car would have crashed into the first car for sure. We could have been hit and likely killed in a strip mall after eating Thai food on a Thursday night at 7:30 in the evening. Oh dear Lord. What a horror that would have been for the rest of our family.
This brings to mind all those episodes of Six Feet Under I just watched, which all began with a death. Most were unexpected; many were accidents. Each illustrated aptly how fragile life truly is.
As for the young man driving that SUV, I can’t help but believe he may have met his end this evening. A chase with twenty police cars in hot pursuit often doesn’t end well. We all concluded he had gotten himself into some serious trouble to cause that level of a pursuit. Rachael said it best, “I saw his face when he drove by. He was just a young guy. I feel sad for him.” Some very bad choices had clearly caught up with him this evening.
I am just glad that we are all alive and well. We would not be worrying so much about that young man had he hurt any member of our family. As luck would have it, we were delayed just long enough not to have been in his path.
We made sure Luna and Rachael were safely home and snuggled up on the couch watching “Inside Out” before we headed back to our house. Sarah had to work late and Gregorio is at a conference in San Diego. We are happy to report to these lovely parents that your daughter is safe. Thank God. So is our youngest daughter. Hallelujah.
Again, life is fragile. Stay safe out there.
I’ll check back in tomorrow. Assuming. as we say in Texas, the good Lord’s willing and the creek don’t rise.
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