“It’s a Miracle Nobody was Killed”: Mother Thankful Children Not Injured in Accident

Last Friday, February 6th, Beth Ann Jackson was driving through Keysville just as she has done hundreds of times before. Her three daughters, Abigale, Alexis and Adriana, were safely strapped into their car seats in the large 2004 Ford Explorer. One child occupied each seat, a strategy Beth Ann told the Southside Messenger that “… just made it easier to get them in and out.” There may have been more of a reason behind the habit than she realized.

As Mrs. Jackson slowed to make a left onto Four Locust Highway from the direction of Charlotte Court House she was met with the unexpected; one of the worst fears a young mother could have. In a split second her fears came to life as her vehicle was slammed into broadside by a full sized Ford van driven by Calvin Stenly.

The force of the crash engaged all of Mrs. Jackson’s airbags as the vehicles collided in the intersection. According to reports, allegedly Mr. Stenly didn’t see Mrs. Jackson’s full sized Explorer sitting in the intersection signaling to make a left turn, so he proceeded to go after stopping at the intersection’s stop sign.

His vehicle hit hers with such force however, that it caved Mrs. Jackson’s door in, and engaged her airbags. It even broke a case of bottled water, wrapped plastic bottles that were in the back of her vehicle.

Thankfully, no one was seriously hurt in the accident. Somehow, none of the three precious pieces of cargo riding in the car seats in the back of the smashed up Ford Explorer had more than a bruise on them. It hardly seemed possible, judging from the damage to the vehicle. Mrs. Jackson told The Southside Messenger that she is grateful beyond words for the response to the accident by emergency services. Charlotte County Rescue Squad and Keysville Fire and Rescue were on the scene in minutes. Another small miracle to add to the fact that nobody was seriously hurt showed itself in the form of a Good Samaritan. The wife of one of the firemen on the scene stopped and made sure the three young ones had a warm place to sit while the accident was investigated.

Beth Ann Jackson has much to be thankful for today. The car accident left her without a vehicle, it is true. Vehicles come and they go. It’s what was inside that was irreplaceable. Some of us will continue to wonder and speculate how those girls stayed safe last Friday afternoon, some of us will not. Some of us know a miracle when it happens…