I began to hear crying and sounds one should never hear. I looked towards the vehicle that was under our front end (later to find out this was the car that hit us) and a man emerged with no visible signs of injury. I called to him for help and he continued to walk away to another vehicle. I asked if he was okay-no response, not even a turn in my direction. I begged him to help with my five kids and husband. The man got into the other car and speed off after dropping a litter of booze onto the ground. I climbed up on a cooler to see who I could help inside and grabbed my shorts and put them on. My oldest son was in the seat behind me with no visual signs of injury. My husban had gotten into the seat next to him and was not awake. My middle son was in the seat on the other side of him silent and not responsive. I could not get to them and my heart sank. I moved the cooler along the back row of seats to see if I could get my youngest daughter out. I assessed her condition and was able to lift her out of the window. She had cuts and bleeding and crying. I sat her on a blanket I found and some pillows. In the back center seat was my oldest daughter. She was alert but had blood coming from the head and covered in a blood bath. Not knowing if the truck would catch on fire or explode as smoke and gas continued to plume from the vehicles I decided to get them all out if I could being careful not to cause more injury. My oldest daughter was brave and able to get out with some help. My husban began to move and cry out in great pain. He was able to get himself out of the window and attend to our middle son who lay lifeless and in the worst shape. As the truck rolled my middle son was slammed against the door. He tried to brace himself against the door and in doing so his fingers/hands were shredded when the truck rolled. He was in shock and still breathing but it took some time for my husband to realize this, he thought the worst. In this photo he was sitting next to the window shown. The roof of the truck came down and bent the neck rest down over the top of the seats. My middle son was layed on the pillow next to my youngest daughter and my husband in great pain now with chest pain as well. I had to yell at my husband to lay down. I made it around the truck and throught the deep ditch to get my youngest son. Another car stopped and a nice lady holding her young son tried to help us. She tried to call for help and another car stopped. She waited by my children while the man from the second stopped car was able to help my oldest son out. He also tried to call 911 but not able to get a signal. Ithen was able to get my youngest son out of the truck. He was pretty cut up and very scared. Again covered in blood. I found ice from the cooler for my middle son's hands and some towels to wrap it in. He layed next to my youngest daughter who was very comforting to him. More people started to approach and help in any way they could. My husband was in and out of conscienceness. When he was awake he was in great pain and screaming for help. I grabbed the kids blankets from the truck to comfort them. My oldest son turned to me and said "I was saved so I could pray for my family". I began to cry and hug them all. It was about 40 minutes from the time of impact untill the police, fire department and several ambulances arrived. This was no easy place to get help to. The first police officer to arrive took my middle son to the hospital STAT. The fire fighters were very kind and comforting to the children giving them their jackets to wear and small toys and holding them when possible. They also looked for life in the vehicle under our front end. No one was in the car and another witness also saw the driver of the car that hit us leave the scene in another vehicle. I do hope he is okay even if he didn't stop to help us. My husband continued to scream in pain. I gave the rescue team the conditions of the children and husband demanding to be taken last, I did not feel physical pain and not sure where the injury was that had left blood all over me. It was hard for my kids to see their father in such pain. Once he was in the rescue truck it departed quickly. One by one the rescue vehicles left carrying my precious children. My heart sank each time they would leave my sight. I prayed He would look after them. The kind people who stopped to help and the rescue members helped gather some of the children's things to take to the hospital. I was the last and in the ambulance with my oldest daughter. Being put in a neck collar and strapped to a board was not what I had planned for vacation. I could not move or see how my daughter was doing. The rescue worker called on the radio to see how the other family members were for me. I could hear the radio response and it was okay at this point. I had to give medical information about each family member. The first sign of pain for me were my eyes and my bottom and legs. My eyes felt dirty and the glass was in my bottom and legs (this was from the windshield breaking on us and then rolling got onto me and the seat when upside down and then I would be forced down on it and rolled again). An eye wash did feel good and after spitting out the debris from the road I could swallow again. The trip to the ER was a long one along the mountain side. I prayed with my daughter who was doing well and needed comforting. I can't even tell you what it is like to want to hold her hand or reach out to her and not be able to do so during this trip.
Once at the ER it was like a TV show. I think it was difficult for the staff because of the size and trauma to our family. I was taken to a room where my youngest daughter was. It was good to hear her voice. I could also hear my middle son screaming in pain and my husband. My heart raced and I thought I could not breathe. The hospital staff began to work on me as I asked for updates on my family. All I wanted was off the board and to attend to my kids and husband. I cleared the testings and signed a release so I could get off that board before final test came back as I could no longer hear my middle son and over heard his failing condition. I raced to his side to find the room filled with staff and specialists trying their best. He was taken out for another CT scan and whisked right by me. The nurse tried to comfort me and told me he was probably just in shock and that was why he was no longer responding. His body had such pain he shut down. I went to my husband. Still in great pain and not wanting to be in the neck collar, yelling at the doctor to take it off. I was able to stay a short few seconds with him as I was in the way of his treatment. I then went to see my youngest son. He was very calm even in the neck collar. They had taken several CT's and tests. He still had something showing on the CT that was stuck in the top of his head so he had to go back for more tests. They let him keep his blanket with him and let me kiss him before going. As I left the room my pace became more urgent to find the other children. I found my oldest daughter. She was covered in blood but calm. The doctor came in and she was able to sit up and have the collar removed. The glass was removed from her scalp (which was the source of blood/injury) and she was assisted with a shower to remove the road grit. My oldest son was trying to sleep but told to stay awake. He had head pain and not able to understand why the collar could not come off yet. It wasn't long and he was clear. I went back to check on my daughters as my husband and middle son were still being treated. My oldest daughter was moved into the room with my youngest daughter. My youngest daughter had her foot sliced at the heal. I held her while they soaked her foot and removed the glass and objects from it. She was so brave and didn't even cry through this pain. Once her foot was put back together I heard my husband and middle son being brought back to the ER from testing. I went to my middle son. He was not responsive. His hands were like hamburger and bone was exposed. They said he would need surgery as soon as he was stable enough. They gave me hope he would wake up. I prayed and stroked his hair so softly. I tried to keep the kids updated as I could. Finally able to see my husband I told him the progress of the children. I tried to call my husbands parents to let them know and ask for them to come ut could not reach them. I called a close friend of theirs and asked that they track them down for us as I couldn't remember any other phone numbers to call. They were able to find them. They were in Indiana still and had not left for their Virginia home to meet up with us and called quickly. They would be coming as soon as they could. My husband was glad to speak to them as well.
The hospital staff that had just finished their shift went home and brought back clothing for my family and cards of well wishes. This was such a kind act and truely appreciated. The doctors and nurses gave me their cell phones and looked up phone numbers for me to call family. It is wierd, I cold remember exact street addresses but not phone numbers that I called so often without even thingking about it.