(UN)RELIABLE SOURCES: 040
WHO'S YOUR ANGEL?

by FRANK O'DONNELL
September 10, 2007

The 4th of July fireworks party was winding down at Notte Park as Alex Innocenti returned home from a late-night trip to Taco Bell. There was still plenty of traffic on Douglas Avenue at 11 PM, but it was moving along well.

Alex was heading west, and slowed a bit when she saw a couple of cars pulled over on the other side of the road.

That’s when another driver tried to pass the stopped cars and hit Alex head-on.

Her airbag exploded in front of her as she pitched forward. Thankfully, she wasn’t seriously hurt, but the airbag stunned her.

As it deflated, Alex reached for her cell phone, calling home to tell her mother that she’d been in an accident.

She was frantic, and so was the call.

Gene, her dad, took the call, and remembers Alex screaming that she couldn’t get out of the car.

The crash had jammed the driver’s door. Alex pushed and banged on it, but couldn’t open it.

“I’m in front of Mark and Beth’s house,” Alex screamed.

Gene jumped in his car and headed for Douglas Avenue.

There was smoke coming from the front of the car. It was just steam from the radiator, but Alex thought the car was on fire.

She kept pushing against the door, her anxiety level rising by the second.

It seemed like forever. Police officers arrived. Their attention was distracted by the driver of the other car, who was on the other side of the road with the small crowd that had gathered.

Alex remembers seeing Gene pulling up across the street. He tried to get to her, but was not able to get past the police officers.

“That’s my dad!” she screamed over and over. But her window was closed, and no one heard her.

That’s when Alex’s angel appeared.

She remembers him simply as a man, perhaps middle-aged. The rest is pretty hazy.

He pulled her passenger door open. “Are you okay?” he asked.

Alex remembers nodding.

The man saw the child seat in the back. “Is there a baby in this car?” he asked.

Alex’s son was home with Alex’s mom, Julie, but she was confused and didn’t answer right away.

“Is there a baby in this car?” the man repeated, looking over the top of the front seat.

Alex said no, the baby was home. The man extended his hand, helping Alex out the passenger side.

She was very shaky – the adrenaline was wearing off.

The man helped her make her way to the sidewalk, easing her to the curb.

She was sobbing. He did what he could to console her, talking calmly, touching her shoulder.

Just his presence was comforting. Even with all those people across the street, Alex felt alone. Except for him.

The whole thing might have lasted five minutes in real time, but to Alex, it seemed an eternity.

Other people started coming over to Alex. Finally, Beth, their family friend from across the street, made it over to the car and Alex. Seeing a familiar face helped a lot.

Alex stood up, looking for the man who’d helped her out of the car and stayed with her to make sure she wasn’t alone. She wanted to at least say thank you. In all the confusion, she hadn’t done that. “I looked for him, but he was gone.”

She’s hoping that some day she’ll bump into him around town. Just to thank him properly.

Meanwhile, she’s glad that angels like him do exist.

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