Tom had the scare of his life Friday night. Literally. It’s a wonder he didn’t have a heart attack.
He was in Jackson for a Mississippi Press Association convention and driving a rental vehicle. And not just any rental, you understand. It was a big ol’ Toyota Tundra pickup truck. Big! That’s all they had available when he went to pick something up here in Picayune for the 2 1/2 hour drive up there.
I’d talked with him Friday afternoon and wasn’t expecting to hear from him again until Saturday noon. But, around 9:30 p.m. Friday night I was sitting here in front of the computer when the phone rang. A rather strangled sounding voice said, "Dee" and I wasn’t sure who it was, but said, "Yeah."
Then I recognized Tom’s voice – sort of strange sounding, though, as he said, "I have a problem." I couldn’t imagine what was to come next.
He then said he thought he had just hit someone. I was aghast and knew he must be even more upset than I could possibly be. I was full of questions, of course, and he tried to get out all of the details he could, which weren’t many.
He’d been coming south down a dark, two lane country road east of Jackson driving about 40 mph from taking his granddaughter home after spending several hours with her when suddenly he saw a flash, swerved hard to the left and something hit the truck. He pulled over as soon as he could, which he thought was about 100 yards further south down the road, and was in the parking lot of a new Dollar General waiting for the police.
He’d had to get the person in the store closing it to call 911 for him because he couldn’t get through on his cell phone. He’d also called his son-in-law to come be with him until the police arrived. He was afraid to walk back up the road to see what was there, he said. He was afraid of what he’d find.
He had to go then and I told him to call me just as soon as he could. I was here alone and beside myself, of course, and just had to talk with someone, so called my son, Mark, called Kristine, Tom’s daughter in Dallas and a dear friend, who prayed with me for Tom on the phone. Then, I waited.
It wasn’t more than maybe 45 minutes till Tom called me back and said he was okay and that everything was going to be fine. Well – for him, anyway. The police had just arrived and this is what they told him.
The police found the guy (Tom had, indeed, come in contact with him with the truck) further back up the road walking north along the road. When the police questioned him, the guy said he was having "a really bad day" and had thrown himself at Tom’s truck to kill himself. Not only that, y’all – after he picked himself up he started walking north again and threw himself in front of a lady’s car when she came along (and scared her to death, too). She, too, called 911.
After being hit a second time, the guy was still walking up the road when the police, firetrucks and ambulance arrived. They took him off to the hospital and told Tom they thought he was going to be all right. Physically, anyway. I sure hope they got him a psychological evaluation.
I mean, the poor guy was having such a bad day, he couldn’t even kill himself after throwing himself at two vehicles in a row to commit suicide. We’re just thankful he was going to be okay. Especially considering what Tom’s truck looked like when he got home Saturday. Take a look at these!
Tom said that upon further reflection, he remembers the guy actually lunged at the front corner of the truck, but Tom swerved away from him, so that he first hit the side mirror, folding it in toward the window, and then careened down the side of the truck. If Tom hadn’t swerved, he probably would have run over the guy with his right front wheel. Thank goodness, he had good reflexes!
Can you believe how much damage there is there? The entire back tail light is broken out and the side looks like a deer hit it or something.
Anyway . . . God watched out over us all and over the poor guy who was so despondent. I pray he’ll get the treatment he needs and become a whole person again. We certainly wish him the best. Meanwhile, Tom’s trying to recover himself.
Many blessings to you all today! Dee
I am glad for Tom’s sake that it turned out as it did. Hopefully the guy he hit is receiving help and is going to make it. What a strange event!
That is a strange story. I am glad it worked out as good as it could.
That is amazing. That guy has to be sore if nothing else. I’m glad Tom and you did not have to go through what would have happened if the gentleman had been successful. I hope that guy can see the positive in trying to kill himself twice and not being able to complete the task.
I am astounded by those pictures. It looks more like a deer hit the truck your husband was driving. The hand of God was in there to protect everyone involved in this strange incident. I also hope that this man will get the help and therapy that he obviously needs.
By the way, that guy had to be in some pain to have done that kind of damage to Tom’s rental truck!
O.K., I can’t resist and at the risk of adding a little humor here – this gentleman certainly embodies the old saying, “What you’re dumb, you’ve got to be tough.”
It is hard to believe that:
1. A person who does that much damage to a truck can walk away from the impact.
2. That person would want to do it again.
Is it wrong that I was both horrified and amused by this? I get a deer committing suicide by throwing itself at the front of my car… and the guy isn’t that smart so he goes for the side. I am SO glad Tom doesn’t have that death on his conscience. What a bizarre story.
That made for an interesting Friday!
wow… what a story.