|
They
rise in green robes roaring from the green hells of the sea Lepanto - G. K. Chesterton |
I am not sure how many people
go through the unenviable experience of having a truck run into their
house. And I'm even less sure how many of these people are away
finally on a
well-earned and thrilling vacation in Montana or somewhere when this once-in-a-lifetime
thing seems to happen.
But it all did happen and I am glad to say that it's over and it will never happen again (the lightning principle).
Some teenager decided to borrow his dad's brand spanking new Chevy S10 and wanted to see how fast he could drive down SE 6th (which quickly becomes 157th). Now about three houses up the hill 157th takes a slow curve to the right, and since our house is on the right (east) side, you would think that momentum would have carried the errant truck over the other way and into somebody else's house or back yard or fence or garage or whatever; but no. Such was not the case.
Apparently the truck bounced off a
parked car and completely lost control which carried the speeding vehicle up onto
our neighbor's yard barely missing two rather expensive SUVs. The Chevy
then proceeded to take out our 5-foot chain-link
fence, demolish our roto-tiller, careen into a big hole Cyn and I had dug for her not yet planted elm tree,
slam into a section of our foundation just underneath Val's room and
finally come to rest a foot or so from the gas meter. You can see the tire
marks. I'm not sure they are skid marks.
The young driver then fled the scene and police soon came with their German Shepherds. The dogs were able to track the teenager to his house a few miles away.
It was indeed an exciting and fun filled night for
each and everyone of the neighbors, and we managed to
miss the entire show, since we were far away in Hamilton, Montana.
The Chevy totally destroyed
our roto-tiller, eight feet of drain pipe and another 10 feet of footing
drain tile. Gabe came out and wrestled the tiller out from under the
truck.
As soon as we got home I hired a construction crew to shore up the house until permanent repairs could be made. Val would not have appreciated finding his bedroom sitting in the driveway.
