On the way back home from school, my mother collapsed from exhaustion at the wheel, crashing into the gates of our mobile home park and waking my nine-year old sister with a loud “boom!”
My mother’s accident on the way home from school did more than just total our car– it shattered the illusion of safety that roads in Santa Ana had. According to 2022 data from the California Office of Traffic Safety’s (OTS), Santa Ana ranks as one of Orange County’s most dangerous cities in Orange County: second in DUI arrests, fourth worst for pedestrian safety among seniors, and above average for speeding related accidents. This incident wasn’t just another family tragedy, but a reminder of the dangers that can occur from driving to school.
My now 10-year-old sister, Kenya Jimenez recounts what happened during the crash after she woke up.
“So I think the front exploded, not really exploded, but like, it started working, and [then] it stopped working. Like a boom, smoke came out and then everything else felt squished.” Jimenez said…