Yup, I Ripped it Clean off...

I did a pull-through parking job at my local Target and shopped for a bit. When it came time for me to load my groceries in my truck and leave, I pulled out and turned to the right too tightly and felt a crunching towards the rear of the passenger side of my truck.

I quickly re-parked and hopped out to access the damage. I couldn't believe it. I had ripped the front bumper of the other car clean off.

 I went into the Target to have them page the owner of this silver Hyundai Sonata and to notify the police of the accident. This wasn't one of those times you leave a note on the car, "Sorry about your car. call me, xxx-xxx-xxxx." and leave. No, even in my shock I knew that wasn't going to fly. The policeman came quickly and was wonderful to work with.

 We waited for the owner of the vehicle for about a half hour. While we waited, Scott came to provide moral support. He didn't even tease me for getting in an accident with a parked car. I teased him that we might want to buy me a smaller vehicle. Scott talked to our insurance company and soon the owner came out and turned out, as the policeman had suspected, to be an employee of Target. She took the news in stride.

You can barely see anything but the hubcap is dented and the tire has a few scrapes but that's all.

I felt sorry for the nice Target employee whose car I busted. She and her husband had just bought the car, "used", two weeks ago. A tow truck was needed to get the car safely home (the owner's husband didn't want Scott to secure the bumper with a bungy cord for the drive home - worried it would come apart on the freeway - good call).

I encountered good fortune in all of this. I have car insurance, that will help a lot. We are receiving our tax return this week and that will help with the deductible. I was on private property so I didn't receive a ticket. I wasn't injured and I didn't injure anyone else. I didn't have anywhere I needed to be, that couldn't wait that is. Kate was safe at preschool and I had plenty of time to pick her up. And I witnessed the kindness of a bystander who came to see if I was okay after the accident and helped me remain calm and focus on what I had to do next. She was a sweet angel to me, and I don't even know her name. And the kindness of the policeman and the owner of the damaged vehicle were both very kind and understanding. I received a lot of comfort from what the policeman said. He first told me that he was surprised I didn't just drive off. And when I was expressing how badly I felt about it all later on, the policeman said, "Well, that's why they are called accidents."