Totaled Car in a Lightning Storm

One Monday night ... or rather, a Tuesday early, early morning ... I totaled my car.

Yes ... I, Mical Masterson, the "grandma," the never-got-a-ticket "safe" driver ... completely destroyed her car.

Usually, when you think of someone "totaling" their car, you probably think ... two cars, collision, mangled fender or bumper or entire car. Well, I ran into a flood, and my car drowned.

Plainfield. On Township Line Road (otherwise known as East County Road 300 South). I was headed home from Plainfield ... driving home on that road ... when "BAM!" I hit something. At first, I didn't know what ... then, my car shut off. I look ahead, and I see tons of water! And before I know it, the water starts coming in through the floor, and the water picks up my car and moves it to the side of the rode. I panic! My first thought ... "I'm gonna die!" My second thought ... "My car is gonna be ruined!" My third thought ... "Phone! Where's my phone!?" Seconds before my entire purse is soaked through and everything in it is ruined, I grab it from the floor, grab my phone and start dialing my dad. Umm ... yeah. I'm still in the car, and it is filling with water!!! Can you tell I'm panicked? Umm ... yeah. Idiot. I was so panicked I wasn't functioning right! My dad picks up, and I tell him ... "Dad, I'm fine, but I need to call you back." I hang up, work up all the courage I can to open the door, get out of the car in the oober deep, creepy, dark, anything-could-be-swimming-around-and-eat-me scary water! I walk probably 50 feet to the road, and as soon as I get out of the creepy water, I grab my phone again and call my dad. He tells me to duck and cover ... seeing as there is a lightning storm going on, it's about to start pouring, and I could die! Not from water but from lightning ... or come to find out ... a tornado! Yes, there were some starting to form not too far from where I was. After I get off the phone with my dad, I call Triple A. Someone stops to help. I jump in his car, and we sit to wait for my dad. Fire trucks and ambulances are coming. Oh, man. A half an hour later, my dad shows up. I thank the super nice guy who let me sit with him and hop in the car with my dad. We go park near the scene of the flood. Sit for 20 minutes or so. And by this time, there's a news guy. Yeah. A lone news guy drives up, gets out of his car, talks to the firemen, and heads down to my nearly-underwater car. I just prayed that he wouldn't try to find the driver. I did not want to see "the idiocy of Mical Masterson" all over the news the next day! Whew! He finally leaves, and I take a sigh of relief. So we wait just over an hour for the Triple A guy with the tow truck to show up. He comes, and the water is too deep. I have to leave the car over night. Oh my gosh. So I come back the next morning around 11am. And my car is GONE! I go from the fire department to the municipal building to the police department to Whitlow's, the tow truck place ... where I finally find my car. My dad meets me there, we discuss the details, and then we leave. I found out the next day that my car was totaled ... no doubt, right? It sat in 4 feet of water all night long. ... So my poor Chevy Malibu has gone to car heaven. Sad tale, huh?

I know there's one line about the lighting storm ... but the story was too good not to share! ;) So ... I stood outside in a lightning storm. Check!!!