The back right fender of the car was hit while I was going seventy miles an hour on a busy freeway. I was driving to a special appointment autopsy class, where we were going to be introduced to cadavers for the first time. Bodies donated to science, or as I liked to think about them, the poor people we study, so the rich might be able to live longer.

The great thing is I didn’t panic. Some person almost got off on the wrong off-ramp, then decided to get back on the freeway without looking. They slammed right into my rear right fender, the perfect place to send any car spinning. I was worried I would upset about the cadavers. My school probably only likes to study old people who die of some natural cause, but I just knew you would never see someone famous on a donated to science autopsy table. With this economy, donating your body to science certainly beats the fact you would have to pay for a funeral.

The front of my car swung to the right. All of a sudden I had a view of a hearse, and I had an instant feeling I was late for my appointment. I missed the hearse by inches as my car made its first full spin. The car that initially hit me, hit the hearse right after I went by. Out of control the initial car went off the freeway, into a slope of ice plant. I, on the other hand, was getting ready to gain control. My wheel was all the way to the left and I was fully concentrated on feeling the traction of the road.

My wheels caught for a millisecond and I spun my wheel to the right, almost all the way, anticipating the counter-loss of control. The hearse although behind me was now going faster than I was. In my whole process of stopping my spin, I had my foot off the brake except in the split second of the spin that I was facing straight forward. The hearse was not having as much luck slowing down, probably because hearses carry so much weight.

The driver of the hearse was an older man in a nice suit. Not an expensive nice. No one out dresses you at a funeral. The old man didn’t know what to do with the hearse though. Swerving all over, he went into a spin as he caught up to my bumper. We both instantly stopped spinning as we connected. I knew right away, even though I was facing forward, that if I touched my brakes the hearse might come over the top of my car. Although I had a sense of control, facing forward, there was a whole new element, the hearse, added to my driving.