The female half of the family was immersed in Girl Scout activities. On this fine summer day both mother and daughters, were away on training missions. The mother left early in the family car for meetings in Columbus, about ninety miles from home. The girls, high school junior and senior, were at the Girl Scout camp, almost half way to Columbus. My boys were away, leaving me to hold down the fort alone. This was all right with me, for I had my Saturday chores to do. I would enjoy the peace and quiet. About midday, the quiet was shattered by the telephone.

“Mr. Jessee, this is the Highway Patrol. Your daughters have been in an accident. They are in the hospital in Bellefontaine,” the voice said. I was stunned and extremely fearful. What was I to do? Mary had our car. I felt helpless. There was only one thing to do.

After some fumbling around I managed to get a phone call to Mary. She was devastated to hear the news but took it as calmly as could be expected. She left her meeting and went to the hospital to face the situation. I tried to keep myself busy, but it was not possible to keep from fretting as time dragged on.

The day was done when Mary finally arrived with Catherine who looked shaken but not much hurt. Susanna was unconscious. She and their friend Sharon were being brought back to Lima Memorial Hospital by ambulance.

Five girls were in a car on their way to Camp Myera where they were to get training as councilors for summer camp; two girls in the front seat and three in the rear. Susanna and Catherine sat at the sides with Sharon between them. The driver of the car stopped at the highway, and then proceeded to cross. She evidently didn’t look a second time, since she pulled out into the path of an oncoming car, which slammed into the rear door of their car. Susanna sitting next to the impacted door took the brunt of the crash. She took not only the blow, but also simultaneously a hefty squeeze from the impact of her seatmates.

Only two girls received serious injuries. Both Sharon and Susanna suffered pelvic fractures; Sharon, broken ribs; Susanna, a broken collarbone and worst of all a brain contusion. Both were laid up for the summer.

Susanna was in intensive care for a day or so. Still in a coma, she was moved to a private room where she could have visitors; for what comfort it gave her. When I visited her one night, I could only look at her lying there helpless and pray for recovery. After a few days she did wake up. We got her a hospital bed and put her in the dining room where she spent the rest of the summer.

Susanna had prepared for a trip to a Girl Scout event in northern New York. Catherine was chosen as a substitute. She attended, had a good time, and felt guilty about it until she realized that she was in no way at fault.

Because son, Stephen, was a cadet in the Air Force Academy, we were afforded an invitation to parents weekend. We accepted the invitation and packed up Susanna complete with crutches and got aboard a flight to Colorado Springs to visit the academy and her brother. It seemed the least we could do for a girl who had spent the summer on her back. 

Soon after the trip Susanna shed the need for her crutches and resumed her life normally--almost. The head injury left some brain damage affecting eye control that she has learned to cope with. Looking back on my most fearful day I am truly thankful that it was not far worse.