Amanda and her Rather Awful Boxing Day

Amanda has had a bad day. She was driving to a friends house this morning when a guy who was snow-plowing a parking lot backed into the roadway in front of them. Mandi hit the brakes, which produced a skid (the roads were ice) and she slid. They hit the truck and it damaged the passenger side mirror. That's it. It could have been so much worse! I went out and the guy gave me his info, said he'd pay. Then he and another guy started saying the girls were speeding (I really doubt it, as the Focus can't go quickly on icy roads without losing it), so I said, "I'm going to call the police and we'll let them check this out." The guy didn't want that (I guess he didn't know I was also the police). It's a work vehicle, so if he doesn't pay, I'll contact his employer (which I get the feeling he doesn't want to happen). Anyway, Mandi was shaken up. The mirror (side mirror, electric, the whole thing... can't get just the back cover) has to be replaced... $97.something plus labor. Geez, I thought the whole mirror assembly would have been a couple of hundred, and so did the parts lady. Lucky dude, I guess.

So, this evening Mandi's at a friends house. Susan and I are watching telly and reading. We hear someone at the front door and figure, "Mandi's home early." It was the father of her friend, who said that Amanda had been in another crash and his wife was driving them home. They'd been in town and were stopped at a red light in a turning lane. When the light went green, they turned and were hit by someone who ran the red light. It hit the truck right behind Mandi's seat. She bumped her head but otherwise is o.k. as far as we can tell. Messed up the truck, but it was driveable. So, I guess she's given her guardian angel a run for his money today!