My First Car Wreck

Back in the eighties or early nineties I was working at Duncan Ceramics in Fresno, California.  I was 30 something years old and had never been in a car accident.  Well, as they say there's a first time for everything right?  I was driving to work and going about 45 mph and had just crossed an intersection.  On the right of me was a small shopping center and a driveway leading to that shopping center.  At the time I was driving my favorite bronze colored camaro, which was actually pretty old at the time, but I loved that car.  All of a sudden I see a car turning into my lane right in front of me!!!  There was no time time to stop (although I think I tried to brake) and I thought to myself we're gonna hit and we did.  I got out of my car and the the driver of the other car was already out of hers asking if I was alright.  I said yes, how about you?  She was fine.  She apologized and admitted the accident was her fault and she said she just didn't see me coming.  Someone drove by and asked if he should call the police and I said yes.  I was pretty shaken up and my head started to hurt.  My car hood was all crunched up and I sat down.  The police asked if I wanted to go to the hospital and I wasn't sure, but said yes since my head was starting to hurt more.  I had only a seatbelt, no airbag and no shoulder harness.  I didn't realize at the time my head had hit the steering wheel and knocked me out for a second.  So, the police wrote up the report and the paramedics took me to the hospital.  The first thing they asked me that I remember besides maybe my name was what was my phone number.  I knew it but I couldn't quite remember it and that scared me.  The paramedics told me not to be alarmed, it's normal when you hit your head.  In the hospital they examined me and asked me who I wanted to call.  I said I had to call my job to let them know what happened to me and then my mom, or grandparents to pick me up.  I got a hold of my job, but not mom or gramma and grandpa.  I asked for something for my head, it was really hurting and the nurse said the doctor would come soon.  It wasn't soon.  The nurse came back and I asked if I could take my own pain killer from my purse.  I got a firm 'NO' on that.  I finally ended up calling my ex-husband who was now my friend at this point and he came and picked me up.  My forehead was swollen out pretty far and I soon developed two pretty good shiners.  My two black eyes were pretty extreme and lasted for weeks changing colors all the time.  Some customers at work were afraid to ask me what happened.  I know some thought some guy beat the crap out of me.  Some thought I had nose surgery, so I had to tell everybody what happened.  The only good thing I got out of it was I got to buy my mom's car which is all I could afford and I got lot's of attention because of my black eyes.  I also changed insurance companies because my current company raised my rates almost double even though the accident wasn't my fault.  My new insurance company got my rates back down to where they were.  I don't know if I am allowed to plug or put down names of companies on this site, but I do not recommend an insurance company that starts with the letter 'F'.  I do recommend the company that has two words and the first word has the letter 'S' and the second word has the letter 'F'. 

That was my first car accident but not my last, I'll save that for another story.