Merging into Oncoming Traffic
I met the beautiful little seven-year-old a few days before her death. I was tutoring her older brother who was afflicted with spinal bifida, and needed extra help with academics. Because their mom was an employed single parent, their grandmother picked the children up from school every day and looked after them until supper time. On this day, Grandma brought Emily in, because she was curious about her brother's tutor.
Emily had shoulder-length, blond curls and thoughtful blue eyes. She ran to her brother's wheelchair and gave him a big hug. He looked at me in an embarrassed way and tried to shrug her off, but I could tell he enjoyed the show of affection. Then Emily stood quite still and watched me expectantly, wondering what I would do next. I knew better than overwhelm her with too much attention at our first meeting, so I solemnly shook her hand, planning to be friendlier when we next met. Little did I know...
On the following Friday night, the grandmother picked Emily up after school, strapped the child into her booster seat in the back seat, and turned the vehicle towards her grandson's school. She entered the on-ramp leading to highway, slowing at the end to check for oncoming traffic. There was a large sign reading "Merge" at the junction where the ramp connected with the busy highway.
Unfortunately, the driver of the car behind was not thinking. He did not slow down in preparation to merge safely; instead he picked up speed in order to nose his way into the oncoming traffic. He slammed into the back of Emily's grandmother's car.
The child was killed instantly. The door on her side of the car was wrenched open, her homework papers, backpack and lunch box were thrown clear and littered the roadway. The tragic scene at the accident site had several ambulance attendants and police officers in tears.
The grandmother was in shock. Her physical injuries were serious enough, but her emotional state was indescribable. She had severe whiplash, broken arms and numerous bruises. She was able to attend the child's funeral in a wheelchair, but her expressionless gaze testified to the fact that she was heavily medicated.
I haven't seen the family since the accident, but I've kept in touch through mutual friends. Grandma no longer drives at all. My former student suffered a dangerous weight loss after his sister's death, but he has since rallied. He not only loved Emily very much, she was his closest companion and friend during evenings, weekends and holidays. He now has a taxi, provided by the School Board, to drive him back and forth to class. The mother continues to work but her time at home is busier. Much of the running and fetching Emily used to do for her brother must now be done by the parent.
The driver who failed to observe proper etiquette while merging, has negatively affected many lives. He was properly licensed, he wasn't drunk or on drugs, he was just careless. Now he has a distressing burden to carry for the rest of his days. His carelessness caused the death of an innocent child. If he is at all sensitive, he will suffer as much, or more, than the family members and friends whose lives Emily enriched by her brief presence on this earth.
Most of us learned the proper etiquette of merging our vehicles with oncoming traffic back in the days when we first learned to drive. Now we do it nearly automatically, not always giving the manoeuvre our full attention. This can be a fatal mistake.
The automobile is a deadly weapon. Its safe operation requires the driver's focused concentration every minute the motor is running. Accidents can happen in the blink of an eye. If that hapless driver had merged with care on that fateful Friday afternoon, little blue-eyed Emily would still be with us.
