Throughout a person’s lifetime, they are pretty much destined to get into some kind of vehicle accident. For some people, that happens earlier than for others. From the stories of our DCHS students, it seems like we are more on the earlier side. With this being said, here are seven stories from our fellow high schoolers about vehicle accidents they have been in.

Kendra Strahm’s car slipped

“Basically, I was going around a curve on a back road. My back tire caught the wet grass, causing the back of my car to spin and I over-corrected it. By the time I hit the breaks, I was in a ditch in the woods.”

Connor Roberson ran into his house, twice

“I accidentally ran my 4-wheeler into my house twice. The first time, I thought I set the brake on it, but when I looked back, it just plowed into the house. Then, I did it a second time. It was probably the same fall honestly. I drove my 4-wheeler through a pile of leaves and I looked backwards to see the leaves. Then, I looked forward again and I just ran into the house.” 

David Yoder’s car is cursed

“So, basically, some dude found [my current car] on the side of the road and he fixed it up. He got rear-ended by a drunk driver and used the insurance money to buy a different vehicle; he didn’t fix the car. So, I bought it for $300. I jacked apart the frame to fit in new pieces, replaced everything but the engine pretty much, and then I got rear-ended by a senior the first day I drove it to school last year. Then, I was driving to cross country the other day and I got run into by a motorcyclist. He just turned into me; he thought I was going straight when I was turning. So, now I have to get my tail light replaced, but I can’t do that until they pop out the side enough for me to get the new tail light in. So, yeah, it’s cursed.

Luke Smock ran into a tree

“I was backing up my friend’s car while I was in Florida. I was reversing and looking behind me, but I missed the curve in the road, went off the road, and hit a tree. I didn’t tell my friend at first, but when I told them, they just laughed because the damage wasn’t that bad.”

Caleb Wolfe rear-ended Dylan Hyman

“So, I was dropping Jaren off and I was behind Dylan. There was somebody in front of Dylan and they were stopped, but I thought that they weren’t, so I kept going. So, when Dylan stopped, I rear-ended him.”

Sydney Ross ran over a turkey

“I was on my way home from the BMV just after getting my permit and I hit a turkey going 60. I thought it was going to move before the car hit it, so I kept going. I started crying when I realized that it wasn’t going to move before I hit it. I was sobbing and my mom was sitting in the passenger seat scream-laughing at me. I cried the rest of the way home. She made fun of me and rubbed it in my face that I hit a turkey the first day I had my permit.”

Caleb Kauffman got hit in the Walmart parking lot

“Alright, so, in seventh grade we were in the Walmart parking lot and some people at Walmart are pretty crazy. So, we were driving and this person, without looking, drove through a stop sign and just t-boned us right in the side. They were only going maybe 15 miles per hour, so all we got was like a dent in the door, but I was shocked. I was actually traumatized. So, that is why, when I go to Walmart, I look both ways three times before crossing the street.”

Kaitlyn Miller’s car lit on fire

“Pretty much, in February, I was getting off the Heartland and there was a guy driving under the bridges. I thought I had time to go because the speed limit is like 45, but he was doing like 70. When I went to pull out, I didn’t have enough time to cross, so we kind of just hit and I sideswiped him. Then, my car caught on fire and I had to get out. When the cops got there, the guy tried to say that he was only going 20, but they looked at the damage and stuff and they ended up saying it was a mutual accident.”

Car accidents can cause lots of anxiety and fear in the moment. In many cases, they are costly, and, in severe instances, even deadly. As we all grow up and get our drivers licenses, it is important to be aware of our surroundings, especially when we are driving.