Saturday 5 December will by my mother's 101 birthday. This is a story that didn't get into the Newspaper or on TV like it would have had had it happened today. Not reaching the news media is a good thing because Mother wouldn't have come out of the house for months. She would have been so devastated that the whole town knew.I'm guessing it was about 1969 or '70 when this happened.
This is in her own words retold to me some years later. However, I was living in Pocatello at the time this event happened and remember the details as told to me to be accurate.
The drug store where I got my medication at that time was on a corner of Center Street and 5th Ave. [A very busy intersection.] I parked the car on the 5th Ave. side where the parking slopes away and perpendicular to the building. I put the car in park and left it running knowing I shouldn't but, I was only going to be a minute because the prescription would be ready for me. Just as I was paying for the medication a customer in the store yelled "There's a car backing out of the parking place and nobody's in it." Yes, my car; it was picking up speed because of the incline. I ran out of the store and tried to slow it down but could not. [Can you imagine.]The car then rounded the corner, wheels turning as if someone were driving it then went forward and ran into the front window of the drugstore and stopped. Most of the glass fell close to the window. Thank Heavens because there were a lot of people in the store.
One of the worst things about it for me was the druggist, Paul, I had known for a long time and he was a good friend of my son-in-law, Earl. [Mother was always concerned about what other people would think] I could hardly look at Paul. I remember him saying "What the Hell!" and all I could think of to say was "I'm sorry." Then thinking what good does that do?
I remember that someone moved the car, I finished paying for the medicine and left for home. I know there was more said but, I don't remember what.
The next thing I had to to is face my husband, Butch. I tried to tell what happened but,he just couldn't believe it. He tried to comfort me (I was sobbing hard.) He said that that's what we have insurance for. He left to see for himself if it was true that the car could back out and turn the corner and then turn in the front of the drugstore.
I still buy my medication from Paul who now works at the Pharmacy in the Fred Meyer store.
I remember doing just what my father did. Went to the scene of the accident; looking it over wondering just how that happened. It could have been so much worse. She could have been injured trying to stop the car, it could have hit another car or a pedestrian or someone in the store.
Thanks Mom for the memories.
