The Domino Effect - Life In a Small Town

Thursday morning, September 2, 2004. I had just arrived in the office when I got a call from one of my employees. He was calling me to tell me he would be late because of a serious accident between his current location and the office. "Get here when you can."

When he arrives at the office he tells me that the accident involved a motorcycle and the motorcycle rider didn't appear to be in good shape.

One week later, I find out more details about the accident.

Two employees that work for the same company, Stillwater Designs (they make Kicker speakers), were on their way to work. One employee, in a car, was coming from the South, the motorcycle was coming from the North. The last vehicle in the clearing traffic was a semi truck and the motorcyclist proceeded to turn left behind the truck as it cleared the intersection. Unfortunately, the other employee was in the outside lane on the other side of the semi preparing to make a right turn. When the two collided, the motorcyclist, who was not wearing a helmet, was fatally injured and died at the scene.

As I was returning from lunch today, I saw a friend sitting under one of the trees near the building where we both work. I had worked with this lady about six years ago when we were both employed by TCI cable. Since then, she and I have had various jobs on campus and see each other from time to time.

I had seen Marilyn as I was coming in to work this morning and said hello as I passed. She waved and I heard a voice on the verge of tears. Not being sure if it was her or the person she was talking to who was upset, I stopped to talk to her when I saw her at lunch. When I inquired about this morning, she told me that her son had been the one driving the car.

We sat and talked for about twenty minutes. I listened to her relay how her son had no time to react and had rushed out to assist the motorcyclist, only to discover that there was nothing he could do. It was then that he realized the motorcyclist was a coworker. I let her cry as she told me about how she found out and how she and her son's car had arrived at her son's home at the same time (the car was towed in). I offered the only help and comfort to her I could - I suggested she speak to our Employee Assistance counselor - as the emotion in her voice grew deeper and single tears streamed down her face while she told me how she found out that her son had not been injured but the other person had died.

Such is the life in a small town. No matter how joyous or tragic the event, someone you know was affected.

My prayers go out to the families involved in the accident as well as those others whose lives the victim touched.