PRAISE 🙌

Do you ever wonder who those people are who create six and a half mile backups at the HRBT during rush hour? Well, today that was me. And a young guy returning to Langley AFB after dropping someone off at the Norfolk Airport.

We both hit a huge piece of construction debris that was in the right lane by Willoughby Spit. First me, immediately blowing my left front tire, then he did, as the debris was pushed into the next lane and blew his right rear tire.

At that point we both pulled off on the right shoulder with our hazard lights on. We must have pushed the debris into the other shoulder because no one else hit it.

I want to tell you that the HRBT island people work like a well-oiled machine. I called 911 and 15-20 mins later the Santa Fe was being loaded onto the bed of a tow truck that works the island. Another truck got the man behind me. I climbed two high steps into the tow truck and was soon standing on the island, waiting for the man who puts on people’s spare tires. A female employee offered me their restroom in the security building. A state police officer filled out an incident report, telling me that USAA will know to file with VDOT to reclaim the cost for my new tire.

Then they gave me directions to get out, going back towards Norfolk, exiting at 15th View, turning around under the Interstate, and getting back on toward Hampton.

Meanwhile, they had stopped traffic at Willoughby to get the construction material out of the road. That is what actually caused the backup that made several of my coworkers late!

I arrived still kind of in shock but several people reminded me that I did not lose control and that at least I was high enough in the Santa Fe to not hit the obstacle with the body of the car. They were so right!

That is why I put this under “praise.” It could have been much, much worse.