A rough 24 hours

We were in a terrible car accident yesterday evening when a drunk driver hit the back end of our van as we were heading north on the 5 freeway after a day at the boat with my dad.  I was driving, with my mom sitting shotgun, lyla in her car seat behind me, and elvis loose in the seat next to her.  After the impact from the Mustang hitting us on the back driver's side corner, we immediately started spinning and I lost control of the car.  We were going about 65 mph at the time.  We careened into the center median on the 5N just north of the 15 freeway exit.  We hit the median head on.  The airbags deployed, saving my life and my mom's.  I remember thinking that I was facing death as we span.  It was horrifying and I am still shuddering when I picture the scene in my mind.  It is as fresh as if it just happened.  The drunk driver in the Mustang hit us one more time and caused us to spin around so that our van ended up facing the right direction just next to the median divider.  I saw elvis fly forward, hit the dashboard, and fall against my mom's seat and the floorboard.  It was a sickening sight for sure.  

When the crashing noise stopped and we realized that the cars around us had either stopped or slowed considerably, the first thought that came to my head was to get everyone out of the car.  I looked back to see that lyla was crying hysterically, but looked uninjured.  I looked at my mom and she looked like she was in a lot of pain and scared to death.  The smoke, the pungent smell of the gas from the airbags, and the fluid leaking everywhere made me worry about a potential vehicle fire.  I opened my door and, to my horror, elvis jumped out and ran past me.  He took off straight up the freeway and crossed in front of traffic.  I immediately started to sprint after him, but stopped short when I realized my baby and mother were still in the car and I wasn't sure of their condition.  I was also stopped by a man coming toward me who told me to stay where I was.  I stopped in my tracks and started hyperventilating.  I didn't know what to do.  I screamed at someone to chase after my dog.  

My mom had gotten lyla out of her car seat by this time and was taking her out of the car.  I ran to them and looked lyla over quickly while trying to calm my mother who was hysterical at this point.  She was so overcome with worry about elvis.  She also had a lot of trouble breathing.  A man asked us to go wait in his car with his wife while we waited for CHP and paramedics to arrive.  At this point I was attempting to retrieve our cell phones to contact Travis and my dad.  The CHP arrived and my mom was taken in the first ambulance due to her difficulty in breathing.  Lyla and I took the second ambulance to Scripps Mercy hospital in Hillcrest.  

At the hospital, I found that my mom was doing alright and that she was getting some tests done.  I thanked God that she was ok.  The plan was that she should be released the next day around noon.  I was checked for possible trauma to the 15 week old baby in my belly.  The ultrasound showed that a) the baby was moving and grooving with a solid heartbeat, and b) we are going to have a boy.  This fantastic news was only spoiled by the haunting thought that elvis was still out somewhere off the freeway and nowhere to be found.

My dad, and some other wonderful people, had been searching for elvis since shortly after the accident.  No luck.  I was released from the hospital after midnight and we immediately headed back to the scene to look for him.  Again, the search seemed futile and dangerous.  I texted Trisha to let her know what happened and she called to let me know she was driving down from SF to be here with us.  We returned home with heavy hearts to an empty apartment.  There was no elvis there to greet us warmly as usual.  We went to sleep knowing that my dad would be out searching for elvis again at daybreak and Trisha would be arriving in the early am to help.  

The next morning I began a search online for dogs turned into the local shelters in SD.  I found a dog that looked exactly like elvis, but upon visiting the shelter my dad gave me the disappointing news that it was not him.  We again returned to the scene of the accident to search for elvis on the side of the freeway and nearby neighborhoods.  Nothing.  We decided to head over to Mercy to see my mom as she was supposed to be released soon.  She was looking good but having a ton of chest pain.  The fact that elvis was still missing weighed heavier on her heart than anything.  After a reviving lunch, we went back for another search.  We spent several hours driving around, trekking through swampy nastiness, and whistling and calling out his name.  Then Travis called me and said the three sweetest words I've ever heard, "Somebody has him".  We sped over to the address and claimed a shaken and injured elvis.  He had joined a grieving family at a cemetery where they were attending a funeral for a small child.  They took care of him and called the number on his tag, Trav's cell phone number.  Elvis is exhausted, limping, and has badly injured paws, but he is back home with us now safe and sound.  He had been away from us for about 20 hours on his own, far from home, after enduring a terrifying experience.  

We feel so completely blessed to have made it out of this horrendous experience with only bumps, scratches, and bruises.  God worked miracles today.  For those of you who were praying, thank you from the bottom of our hearts.