ME IN MOTION “NOTHING AND EVERYTHING” TOUR BLOG 10:
The Tire Of Terror
Where do I even begin? Earlier this week we played in Abliene, TX and then had a 2 day drive to Monterrey, CA. Those 2 days were some of the most exhausting, ridiculous, and dangerous 2 days of my life. It all started about 30 min into the drive. We were passsing through the town of Sweetwater when it happened. I was behind the steering wheel as we approached a slight hill. In the distance I began to see what looked like a small piece of shredded tire flopping down the road. “No big deal, “ I thought. “Truckers blow tires all the time.” We might roll over a small chunk but we’ll be fine. The closer we got to the mysterious debris I realized that this “small chunk” was bigger than I first calculated. I soon came to the conclusion that this was indeed a completely entact semi tire, and at 65 MPH I started to worry about it hitting us. I clearly remember weighing the various options I had to possibly dodge the tire. I had a good 20 seconds to process what was about to happen. About 2 seconds prior to impact I saw this beast of a tire hit the pavement and bounce nearly twenty feet in the air. It was fully inflated. It was still mounted on the metal rim. Sam, one of the production crew guys was sitting shotgun. He told me later that I looked over at him and said in very matter-of-fact-tone, “We’re gonna hit that tire.” All I could do was brake. I pressed both feet down firmly on the pedal and we fish tailed a bit. I turned my head away as I squeezed the steering wheel but It was inevitable. The tire whizzed past me but continued to scrape along the back side of our beloved van. Then it immediately smashed into the front of our twenty six foot trailer. That familiar crunching sound followed. It was quick and loud and reminded me of an aluminium can folding beneath my foot in slow motion. I thought It was over as we slowed and pulled over. I could feel the rumble strips beneath me as I watched in awe as the out of control tire continued it’s path of destruction. It lunged forward into the ditch to our left. Then, rolling along the curved earth it launched itself one last time, bounced right next to us, and flung itself completely over the roof of the van. We were at a dead stop as we watched it roll into a Wendy’s parking lot.
Suprisingly, The van and trailer were both completely drivable. I called 911 and police were there in an instant. A police report was filed and the state trooper informed me that the driver responsible lost another tire, which hit another vehicle and a building. No one was hurt at all. We were back on the road within half an hour. Over the next 48 hours we were faced with obsticle after obsticle as we pressed on toward California. A blown trailer tire with no jack left us stranded for a couple hours, The tow truck man refused to help us due to fine print restrictions from his boss. I had to pay him cash on the barrell, and he was convinced. We almost ran out of gas, and when we finally found a station-the pumps were all closed. Later down the road the van started sputtering and we all had accepted the fact that we just weren’t going to make it. Miracolously, the van felt better after a short break and we arrived in Monterry, California on time for load-in. I even got to see wild sea lions on the beach. I have no doubt in my mind that God has been wathcing out for us. He’s kept us alive more times than I can remember, and at times I’m speechless. Please keep us in your prayers as we continue the Nothing and Everything tour. Don’t forget that God is on your side. He’s watching out for you too. Cry to him when you are in need, and thank him when you are safe.
dexter
