Traffic Nightmare
The Jesus Town is one of those rural Indiana towns that has exactly 1 highway that runs East/West through it and doubles as main street. We also have 1 interstate that runs East/West a few miles south of town. Whenever something happens on the interstate and they have to shut it down, they re-route the traffic through the Jesus Town, thus binding up traffic between the high school and the Wal-mart. This actually happens quite frequently because the stretch of the interstate that passes through the Jesus-Town exit is documented as the most dangerous stretch of roadway in the state.
Today, just west of the Jesus Town on the interstate, there was a major accident. I saw pictures on the news and it's quite possibly the worst accident I've seen in these parts in years. There were 6 cars, an RV and a semi involved. At last I heard, it was a multiple fatality accident, the details of which will be on the evening news. They had to shut down the interstate, as well as the other highway that runs under it because the accident happened on the bridge. They were re-routing traffic eastbound through the Jesus Town, which happened to coincide with another accident. There was a major accident on the Jesus Town highway, just down the road from my house, in which they thought there was a fatality. So they had the highway, which was already the only thoroughfare for the interstate traffic, shut down in both directions. I just headed to town, and though both accidents were over 4 hours ago, it's a nightmare. There were backups in every direction, semis stranded in intersections, and generally cars headed in every direction down the back streets. I just pray that no accidents happen in town if people get impatient.
After I heard of the accidents, I did the genetically encoded thing of needing to call and account for all family members. I don't usually do this, but when the accidents are so close to my house, I always just feel better if I do. I only needed to make one phone call, to the sis, because she had taken care of the rest. The bro and the bro-in-law were both working the highway accident and the parents are up in Indy. Which makes me breathe a sigh of relief.
Update: The bro just walked in, and contrary to what I heard earlier, there was a fatality at the highway accident he and the bro-in-law worked. And he said that there was another major accident about a mile up from that highway accident while they were working it. In all his brotherly concern, he just asked me not to go out on the roads today. Which I won't. But I will say a prayer for the families.