Narrative Essay: The Car Accident This is a personal narrative I wrote for my English 101 class.

Learning something new can be a very scary experience. Of course I think I can discover and have discovered something original from every incident in my life, but sometimes I wish there had been easier ways to gain those insights. Sometime in June of the year 2001, when I arrived to the United States from Brazil, my parents and I were welcomed at the airport by this very nice lady whose name was Romy. My dad would be taking Romy's job in a few weeks, and I assume it was her duty to show us around the new town and to get us acquainted with living in Maryland. She took us shopping for basic necessities and soon after that, since we would soon need to move around on our own, we went hunting for a car. We went to several car dealerships and finally ended up in Chambersburg. We were about to move on to another place when it started to drizzle. We got inside the vehicle, made a left at the exit of the automobile dealership, and as soon as we were back on the road, a couple of feet ahead the light turned red. Initially I though Romy would have plenty of time to stop. However, she was not able to and ended up hitting one of the cars that had already come to a halt at the signal. The accident, despite being awful, was meaningful to me because I learned some driving techniques, I learned about the importance of wearing a seat belt, and I learned that I am not supposed to step out of my car whenever an accident happens.

The accident was meaningful because I learned some driving techniques. Romy, the driver, was talking on the cell phone, and wasn't very focused on the road. She was also driving faster then she should have been for certain weather conditions, because the drizzle was now a pour. She did not realize how close we were to the other cars, and attempted to stop the van when it was already too close. The car started to hydroplane and I recall hearing Romy frantically yell to my dad: Mario, Mario, the car won't stop! My dad advised her to take her foot of the brakes and then to step on it more gently, but because of all the panic going on, she pushed the pedal brake with all her might. At the time, I was only 15 years old, and I still did not have my driving license. After I acquired my license, I recall almost loosing control of my car once, but I remembered my dad's advice to Romy and was able to prevent an accident. From the accident I have also learned to avoid other distractions, such as talking on the cell phone while driving.

This accident was also meaningful because I learned about the importance of wearing a seat belt. My mom and I were in the back seat, and we had already become very frightened when the car started sliding. We were hoping Romy would be able to control the car and free us of a terrible accident. When I finally realized that our van was going to hit the car in front of us, I remember fiercely holding on to the seat, so the impact of the hit wouldn't be too great. Thankfully, all of us were wearing seat belts and all we had was a couple bruises. With that experience, I have learned how important it is to wear a seat belt regardless the circumstances.

Finally, this accident was meaningful because I learned that I am not supposed to step out of my car whenever an accident happens. As soon as we hit, the driver's air bag opened, and smoke started coming out of somewhere. Being very naive at that time, I didn't realize the smoke was simply coming from the air bag, and started shouting the car was getting on fire. My mom was the closest to the passenger door, but apparently she was a little bit more shook up than I was, so I attempted to climb over her and open the door. That's when I became even more hysterical, because I realized the door wouldn't open. I had a very sudden urge to leave the car, and could not stay in there for one more second. I made sure every one in our car was okay, and after insisting a little with my father, pursued on leaving the car through the front door to check on the people inside the car we had hit. I was happy to be outside, and did not care getting completely wet. I made my way to the other vehicle and with all the good intentions, asked the lady on the driver's seat if everybody was all right. To my amazement, the man who was sitting beside her hurriedly opened the door and came to my direction. He said the most cruel and offensive words I ever heard in my life and after feeling completely cursed out, I started sobbing like an idiot, turned around, and quickly began my way back to my family. The heartless man insisted on saying horrible things as he followed me to the automobile. I was very relieved when I got there and my dad told him to shut up,and was even happier when he made his way back to his car like a scared puppy. In Brazil, it is customary to go over to the other vehicles involved in the accident to make sure everyone is not hurt. After this experience, I have learned from my dad and some friends that here in the United States I shouldn't step out of my automobile to check on the others involved in the accident. I also learned that this is part of American traffic laws.

In conclusion, the accident, despite being awful, was very meaningful to me because I learned some driving techniques, such as focusing on the road and not stepping on the brake firmly when sliding in the rain. I also learned about the importance of wearing a seat belt, and that it helps prevent a person from getting injured once involved in a car accident. Finally, I learned that I am not supposed to step out of my car whenever an accident happens because this is part of American traffic laws.