Anton Versus The Grim Reaper


This is, in every sense, a true Thanksgiving story.

Anton, Naomi, her son David, and I spent a wonderful Thanksgiving in Boston with Lucy’s family. They are the ideal family unit, caring, supportive, and fun loving. We started back for New York on Friday evening with my niece Sally joining us in our Ford Explorer and hit the Bronx about 1:45 AM Saturday morning on Route I-95.

Remember the Bronx … pothole laden streets and narrow lanes that pass for highways? We were in the left lane with a huge tractor-trailer beside us on the right when we heard a loud noise that jolted the car and sent us swerving every-which way but straight. For some unexplained reason a rear tire, fairly new and sturdy, blew out and we went careening into the concrete divider on our left. The car bounced off the divider and veered for the semi on our right. Since my night vision isn’t what it used to be, Anton was driving. We narrowly missed the semi and banged into the divider again. We were going about 60 MPH and I thought we had caught the bullet. We were about to be mangled by the tractor-trailer when Anton intentionally turned us into the divider again, choosing the lesser of two evils. We mashed into the divider about four times, and each time it sent us barreling toward the truck, which was only three or four feet away. I don’t know how he did it, but that boy of mine managed to avoid hitting the semi altogether and we were finally able to stop the car. Anton and I jumped out immediately and began waving the speeding cars in the left lane away from us.

I called 911 on my cell and it took the cops about 45 minutes to show up, Anton and I waving off cars the whole time. We called in an ambulance for Naomi, who was badly shaken and bruised, and for Sally, who had banged her head against the rear window. We spent the rest of the morning and afternoon at Jacobi Hospital.

Naomi was in pain, mostly her chest, left hip, and leg, but the x-rays showed no breaks She is now recovering slowly from the bruises and should be back to normal in a while. Sally didn’t sustain any injury to her head, but thought she should have it checked as a precaution. Anton, Dave, and I were fine.

While we were waiting for the ambulance, Anton and I picked up pieces of metal and car parts strewing the left-hand lane of the highway. They were not from our car. There was a bumper from a Honda, and various other junk suggesting that this spot was a haven for past accidents. When we pointed this out to the cops, they just laughed it off and chalked it up to coincidence. I guess no one will take it seriously until they have to scrape some poor family off the surface. Something caused the tire to blow out so suddenly, but the authorities aren’t interested in prevention.

We survived a harrowing and life-threatening experience on that stretch of road that morning. We all underwent a Thanksgiving in the most fundamental way and everything looks, feels, and tastes sublime in the aftermath. Life is, indeed, delicious.

In any situation involving the art of motoring, I always like to be in control. I have survived many a close call in my day and I credit it to my ability to remain calm and clear headed in the most challenging of circumstances. I was not in charge this time around. Anton was. I have always felt secure with his driving skills, which for any parent is a major relief, but I must say that this was the most amazing feat of negotiating danger that I have ever witnessed. Anton was magnificent, both in skill and judgment, and he is solely responsible for our survival in what could have been a devastating tragedy. He didn’t crack under fire and I’d share a foxhole with him any day. He is my hero, now and for all time. Thank you, son.