Unfortunately, even though I’m the author of this blog….I cannot say I’m the perfect driver. I try to be respectful on the highways and byways…I use my turn signal, I give assured clear distance and oftentimes will wave people over in front of me when I see they are in an exit lane. What you are looking at can be used as an example of what NOT to do while driving a car.

Technically, this blog could be placed under both “Fender-Bender,” and “Multi-tasking.” But for now we will keep it where it is.

The car you are looking at was a brand new Kia Rio and it was appraised as “TOTALED.” I had a little too much going on inside and outside the car when I was about to hit a mail-box, over-corrected and ended up slamming into a tree at 45 mph. My teenage daughter, Mandy, was with me and thankfully we both literally walked away without a scratch. I know it doesn’t look like much, but believe me when I tell you, this could have been tragic. I crossed one lane of on-coming traffic before hitting that tree pretty much head-on.

While I was walking home with my daughter, who was 14 at the time and very shook-up, I looked at her and said:

“Remember when mommy tells you not to do some of the things I do while driving, when YOU start to drive?”

“Yes,” she replied.

“Well this was one of them,” I finished.

At least I saved that dog.