Run over by a truck!

I ran over Mason with the truck!  This happened the week before last.  I know, I know, you’re probably thinking, “What the heck?”, but it was an accident.  You see, I don’t have my license or my permit.  Therefore I don’t really know a lot about driving yet.  Mason has been slowly teaching me and everything, but we haven’t had much time to get in practice or anything.  What you may think is common sense didn’t work that way for me. 

Let me explain.  Mason was working on his muffler again.  He had just finished it, and he asked me to hop in the truck and start it.  I’ve done this before, but he’s always reminded me to make sure it was in neutral (our truck is standard).  This time he didn't.  He was lying under the truck right at the drive tire, the back passenger tire. 

After I started it, I dropped the clutch.  Not quick enough to stall it, but fast enough that the truck moved forward pretty quick with plenty of momentum. 

This is where it gets hard for me to talk about.  I can’t talk about this to anyone without tearing up.  I am honestly scarred by this incident.  It was just yesterday that I started the truck again, and it took some persuasion from Mason to do so. 

Anyways, I heard Mason scream.  I’m not sure if he screamed my name or just screamed in general.  My first reaction was to push in the clutch because my foot was already there, and then I slammed on the brakes.  I had realized what I had done, but I didn’t want to believe it.  I mean, how can you run over the love of your life?  How stupid could I be? 

After that I froze for a second.  I didn’t know what to do, or what to expect.  I put on the emergency brake and ran out of the truck, screaming for Mason.  He didn’t answer.  This terrified me.  I had no idea what I was going to see. 

So, I reached him, and he had gotten out of the stone driveway and was lying in the grass.  He was awake, and he told me he was okay.  I automatically started crying.  What was weird was that I couldn’t shed tears at first.  I was just making the crying noise, but I couldn’t actually cry. 

It wasn’t until everything actually hit me that I started really crying, and I couldn’t stop.  Mason kept repeating that he was okay, but I didn’t want to believe it.  I mean I wanted to, but how could he be okay?  I had run him over.  How could I do something so horrible?  These were all the things running through my mind. 

Meanwhile, Mason was of course in pain, but he was completely alert.  Later on he told me that he thinks he may have blacked out because he didn’t hear me screaming for him at first.  I asked him if his stomach hurt because that had been where I had run him over, but he pushed on his stomach and said no.  He didn’t think he had anything wrong with him internally. 

That was a relief, and extremely surprising.  At this time, I was still crying and I could not hold it together.  Mason kept telling me that it was okay, and that it wasn’t my fault, but I couldn’t believe him. 

What you’re going to find completely surprising is that Mason was not seriously injured.  We did not need to take him to the hospital or anything.  The truck had run over his lower abdomen, and his hips.  His back was bruised and cut up pretty good from the stones under him, and his hips were bruised too.  He was really sore for about a week, but he is fine now.  The cuts are almost completely healed. 

When other people learned what had happened, they didn’t believe that he was okay.  Nor did they believe that he hadn’t gone to the hospital. 

I want to tell you that I believe this was a miracle.  Keep in mind that our truck is an extended cab 2000 Ford F150 with a 4.2 engine.  I pray every day that God watches over Mason and protects him from danger.  This was a blessing that he was not seriously injured.  I told Mason that God was with him, and that that had to be the reason why he didn’t sustain any bad injuries. 

I cried constantly practically the whole day.  I couldn’t forgive myself, and I couldn’t believe what I had done.  All I could do was keep berating myself, and cry.  I was completely bawling and shaking, and I just curled up in a ball in bed crying.  I could have seriously done damage, and I wouldn’t have been able to live with myself if I had. 

Mason seriously got angry with me because of how upset I was.  He believed that it was not my fault.  He told me that he should have reminded me to put it in neutral.  Of course my argument was that I should have known.  After the incident, I felt like it was all common sense.  First, make sure it’s in neutral.  Second, start the truck.  Third, slowly let out the clutch to make sure it isn’t going to go anywhere. 

I kept arguing with Mason that it was my fault and that I should have known, but he told me otherwise.  He kept repeating that he shouldn’t have been under the truck in the first place.  He told me that he actually hadn’t needed to be under the truck to check the muffler.  Mason also said that I shouldn’t be expected to know things like that because I wasn’t experienced in driving.  Therefore, stuff that would be common sense for him or you wasn’t for me. 

I still don’t know if I believe this or not.  I can’t believe what happened, or that I was the one that did it.  Nor do I ever want to believe it.  All I know is that I learned.  I will never start the truck without double checking that it’s in neutral, putting on the emergency brake, and slowly letting out the clutch.  Yesterday I didn’t have the emergency brake on because he wasn’t under the truck.  I still let out the clutch slow though.  Honestly, I didn’t even want to let it out.  I was terrified of moving forward. 

I have been a serious fanatic about the truck moving.  I always ask Mason when he’s working on the truck if he has the emergency brake on, and if it’s in gear.  I also repeatedly ask if the truck will move.  I am honestly terrified of that truck moving without Mason in it. 

The reason why I didn’t tell you this two weeks ago (I tried, but couldn’t finish writing it) was because I was afraid that you would think I did it on purpose.  Only a few people know what actually happened because I won’t let Mason tell the true story.  I know that some people may think that it is completely my fault, and that I was extremely stupid.  I would agree, but it doesn’t help to hear those words.  I’ve repeated them to myself many times. 

Anyways, I hope you understand.  That was the big incident that happened two weeks ago.  Our life is pretty hectic, but I know that we are extremely blessed.  Mason is still here in my life, and unbelievably, he was not hurt badly.  I am very grateful for this. 

Thanks for reading another small piece of our lives.  Have a great day.  Feel free to leave a comment, and remember to always make sure your vehicle is in neutral when you start it!