Soon after returning home from attending a political debate at Seymour Middle School Thursday evening, I heard sirens. Lots of them.
I was sitting at my desktop computer and since Ralph wasn't home - he had been at a meeting in downtown Ansonia - something made me turn on broadcastify.
In less than a minute I heard a voice on the scanner say it was a minivan involved in an accident.
I knew before the person said "extrication needed, this is a disabled driver with a handicapped van" or something similar - that it was Ralph.
The next moment the phone rang and caller ID said Jared Heon, Ansonia Rescue Medical Services director, was on the other end.
Cue shaking.
"Is it Ralph?" I asked him. He said yes, it was but that he was OK. He gave me the location of the accident and I said I'd be right there.
I told our daughter, Allegra, what happened and ran out of the house and headed less than a mile down the hill to the accident. I parked the car and ran down Platt Street to the scene. Allegra followed minutes later.
When I got there Ralph was still sitting in the driver's seat with a neck brace on.
The airbag hadn't deployed. I was relieved to see that he was coherent.
Ansonia Police Officer Michael Castillo had used a pick axe on the passenger-side window so that workers could unlock the door and get to Ralph. The van was leaning at about a 20-degree angle to the right, Ralph said, and he was leaning with it, still strapped into his seat belt.
He said he had swerved to avoid a car, and ended up off the road.
At Griffin Hospital emergency department Ralph was immediately taken care of, and X-rays were taken of his knee. Fortunately nothing was broken.
I am writing this mostly because I want to publicly thank the Ansonia Police Officers, firefighters from Webster Hose Hook & Ladder Company #3, and members of Ansonia Rescue Medical Services who took care of Ralph at the scene, and the medical personnel who took care of him at Griffin Hospital.
We truly appreciate everything.
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