Our Unforgettable Accident of 7/09/2023---When Faith and Fear Collide

Sometimes, misfortune strikes without our consent. It violates our sacred bubble that no one is allowed to touch without fierce consequences. We wonder why this happens and why we could not prevent it beforehand. 

My beloved church friends and I did not welcome the frightening event of July 9th, 2023. But I believe that God was still watching over us that dark, early morning. We thank God that the outcome was not worse. 

It was between 3:30 am and 4:00 am when Yul García, Dylan Drake, and Yul's 15-year-old niece, Sarah, were the sleeping passengers in the Hyundai Tucson with me, Matthew Sabatine, at the wheel. We were driving home from an amusement park in Virginia. Everyone was tired. So, Dylan, Yul, and myself shared driving responsibilities.

It had to be maybe 5 minutes after crossing the border into Pennsylvania when suddenly the windshield busted and I could see a hole in the windshield. I was in total shock and disbelief but somehow managed to keep the vehicle moving without violently swerving.

I needed maybe 3 seconds to realize what happened. 

I saw no incoming object and thought maybe I ran over something on the road? I then thought, "Did I hit an animal?" But I saw no animal in front of me. I processed this within maybe 5 seconds before Dylan said, "Oh no. My arm is hurting. Please pull the car over." 

As our vehicle slowed and moved to the side of the road, Yul, who was startled out of his sleep, said to me several times, "Dude, turn the lights on." It was not until the third or fourth time, upon coming out of my state of shock, that I could comprehend what he was saying.

When we finally pulled over, the vehicle was full of shards of glass and dust. Dylan and I looked down and found a gigantic rock in our center console. Not the kind of rock you would expect to find in the middle of the highway nor on the side of the highway, but instead maybe down in the shallow stream or ravine further off in the distance. 

Dylan had a lot of confidence and self-control for a guy who just got hit. I forced myself to look at him, not knowing what to expect. To my surprise and delight, there were no gaping wounds nor blood splattered everywhere. Just a few very tiny red spots and maybe one bruise or two. But his words to me clearly indicated he was having intense pain. 

Yul was also quite calm, despite complaining about his hand that was maybe slightly injured. Sarah was also pretty calm, for being a 15-year-old girl who may have never endured this kind of experience before.  

And did I mention that Dylan had a lot of confidence and self-control for a guy who just got hit with a gigantic rock?! 

I still worried about him though. I did not know what to do for him other than to give him my pillow and have him rest in the car. When he mentioned that he was feeling thirsty and hungry, I wished that I had not finished all of my food and bottled water hours earlier; that way I could let him have it all. 

Part of me wanted to panic, but I also felt this peaceful thought wash over me, saying, “Everything will be fine. Stay calm.” 

After checking on each other for any major injuries, we finally gathered our thoughts and called the police. At some point, we saw a vehicle slowing down behind us and realized it was a Jeep. We thought maybe some malicious, mischievous people were throwing rocks onto the highway from the nearby underpass to divert drivers into an unsafe spot where they could be kidnapped, jumped, or killed. We said to each other, "Everyone get in the car, roll up the windows, and lock the doors."  

Thankfully, it was just a gentleman, and what appeared to be his teenage son, stopping to check on us and offer us a visit to their nearby garage where they could help us. With the driver’s side window ajar, we wasted no time by politely but emphatically telling them, "No thank you. The police are already on their way." 

We were puzzled over this when talking to the police who got there maybe 40 minutes later. We were driving on a 3 lane highway in the middle of nowhere. The police assured us we were in the middle of nowhere as they stated they were the only two policemen on duty in that area.

We drove underneath an underpass maybe 700 ft. back, so we thought perhaps the rock fell from the underpass. Maybe? But I do not remember getting hit as we drove underneath the underpass. The policemen assured us that no one would be tossing rocks from the underpass here in the middle of nowhere. The rock was too big to have flown off someone else's car and there were no cars in front of us when this happened. Their best explanation was to say that maybe a loose piece of concrete fell from the underpass due to recent construction. Because rocks do not fall from the sky. Right?

The policeman asked us to drive a mile further up the road to turn onto an exit where we could find a safer spot to talk. They took our driver’s license and insurance information, gave us some advice on how to deal with our situation, and then went on their way.

We repeatedly checked on Dylan to make sure his condition did not worsen. We had asked him more than once if he needed an ambulance, but he said 'no.' We had him rest in the car with his arm on my pillow and got some ice for him at the nearest rest stop. 

Driving home in this condition was certainly not ideal. But we had no other choice. The police even suggested it. Calling a tow truck would be too inconvenient and we all needed to sleep. 

At the nearest rest stop, we got some drinks, vacuumed the glass out of the car, and rested while deciding the next wisest move. We decided that we would visit the nearest Safelite glass repair service, only 20 minutes away. Upon almost getting there, we realized they are not open on Sundays. 

So, we had to drive home with a nearly demolished windshield. Thankfully, Yul could still see through the windshield as it rained. I had to keep the hole covered with a pair of swimming trunks. That was the last two hours of the drive. 

This is me, doing the honors of holding the swimming trunks.

We were cracking jokes during the rest of the drive home, as if nothing unfortunate ever happened. Later that day, Yul texted everyone, “I think Dylan’s elbow saved me from getting hit in the head.” Dylan replied, “I subconsciously stuck my arm out like a goalie.” 

Here is the interesting part: 

Dylan had texted the group later that evening about Ami, his wife, talking to his mom: 

“Ami was telling my mom about the whole thing and apparently my mom woke up randomly to pray for me around 3:30. Crazy!” 

It was between 3:30 am and 4:00 am when the accident occurred!

Those who are skeptical about the supernatural would probably suggest this is just a random coincidence, but it does not feel as such when it happens to you. 

We all thank our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, for keeping us safe, as Dylan's x-rays show that he has no broken bones. Only some bruises and nerve damage. 

Yul is unharmed. I am unharmed. And Sarah is unharmed.

Thank you for reading. 

The author of this blog post is Matthew Sabatine, who was born in the United States and raised as a Christian but left the faith in his early twenties. He returned to the faith midway through 2022. Matthew has some experience in the mental health field as a direct support professional, caring for people with intellectual and development disabilities and people who were in long-term residency/rehabilitation programs. Though Matthew has no formal undergraduate or graduate degree, he has experience co-facilitating therapy groups under the supervision of licensed counselors. Matthew currently works in sales/marketing by day and blogs on his free time at night.

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