2 Chicagoans dead, 4 injured in crash on I-80
Associated Press - June 16, 2007 4:24 PM ET
WILLIAMSBURG, Iowa (AP) - Two Chicagoans are dead and four others injured following a crash on Interstate 80 near Williamsburg in eastern Iowa.
The Iowa State Patrol says a sports utility vehicle went into the ditch about six this morning. It rolled over and ejected several passengers.
The patrol says 39-year-old Mary Ann Schmitz and 13-year-old Jeremy Smith were pronounced dead at University Hospitals in Iowa City. Both are from Chicago.
Four other people in the vehicle also were taken to University Hospitals.
Their names and conditions haven't been released.
The accident remains under investigation.
That is what has been on my mind all day. At the time this news report was released, only two were dead. Now, the headlines must change. They must change because a 9 year old girl has also died. Cassidy Smith died just hours after this accident. The Smith/Schmitz family were on their way to visit family in Colorado. Dad was driving. Mom and the four kids were in the car. At 6 a.m. dad lost control of their 2 day old Dodge Durango. The SUV rolled numerous times. Three of the six passengers were ejected from the car. Three died. Three walked away without a scratch.
This accident hit close to home. I knew the mother and i knew the two kids that died. No, i wasn't close to any of them. I knew them from the neighborhood. Cassidy was best friends with my best friends daughter. How do you tell a 9 year old that their best friend has just died? How do you explain that to her? All Gabrielle could say was "WHY? WHY MOMMY? WHY? WHY DID THIS HAVE TO HAPPEN?
You know how you explain it? You tell her, you beat it into her head that no matter what, YOU WEAR YOUR SEATBELT!!! DON'T TAKE IT OFF FOR ANYTHING!! EVER!! Those three would more than likely still be alive if they were wearing seatbelts. The three that had belts on, they walked away. I cant even begin to understand the hell that Dad is going through right now. Could this have been prevented? HELL YEAH!!
The Dad used to say (about his one and only daughter) "She is my heart...She is my soul...She is what keeps me going in life..This little girl has me wrapped around her little finger...She is my everything!" Now, his little girl is dead. How do you go on? How do you cope? I can't even begin to imagine losing my spouse let alone two of my children at the same time. Now, there is a three person funeral scheduled for this week.
Most of you that read my blog know, i don't wear a seatbelt. I NEVER wear a seatbelt. Everyone, daughter included, yell at me to BELT IT! and my "work for the secretary of state" husband always says "CLICK IT OR TICKET." Now, i am going to think of this family every single time i get into my car.
As i sit here and stare at my gorgeous, sleeping baby. As i sit here and think about how my beautiful 7 year old daughter and her bestest friend in the entire world are right now at the park with my husband. As i sit here and think about my best friends Kay, Ellyne and Murph. As i sit here thinking about what a great family i have. A loving mother and father. Three awesome brothers. I realize how lucky i am right at this moment.
So, kiss your babies. Cherish every second. Because you never know when, god forbid, your everything can be taken away from you...
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