From The Storyteller
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January 22, 2018, Highway 24
We have children living in Kansas, some in Lawrence and some Topeka. It was Thanksgiving week and Elaine and I were there doing family. It was twilight and the weather - cold and crisp. The Topeka family event went well, and we were headed to Lawrence for more. Decision – Interstate 70 or Highway 24? The old road (24) is a scenic, two lane, winding, tree lined country road. Not being in a hurry, it was the perfect option. We were driving 60mph with the windows up. Suddenly Elaine says, “Somethings happened! Someone is calling for help. We need to stop”. Scanning the road I see nothing. Seconds pass, and only the look on her face convinces me to slow down. At 60, the trees and brush that line both sides of the road pass quickly. Behind the brush there is a steep ravine. With no shoulders to pull off on, we slowed to 40. At that moment Elaine tells me, “Stop! There’s been an accident”. While I still hadn’t seen anything, she had. Through the thick brush and trees she spotted a van down in the ravine and a woman standing next to it. Stopping in a farm gate, we run back, finding the woman in shock with an injured arm. We learn of a second woman pinned under the van. 911, rescue trucks, and a med flight later, the women were on their way to the hospital. If Elaine had not heard that pleading voice, those women would have died that night in the freezing cold. How Elaine heard the woman’s cry for help is beyond me. Traveling 60mph, windows up, several hundred yards from the scene, and Elaine heard the plea. Impossible - but it happened. Moral – Sometimes how is not important |