My Scary, Costly Accident en Route to Denver

My Chevy Blazer after flipping down the embankment six times
Hi all,

I never thought I'd have the need to post here,  but a 1,700
mile cross-country trip from DC to Denver did not end as I had expected.

The good news is, as some of you know, I have accepted a great job in
Denver!

Prior to starting my job, I bought a Chevy Blazer with solid  snow tires, then had a couple repairs done and was
given the go-ahead by my mechanic to begin the trip out West.

I left for Denver on February 8th  - an initial nine-hour drive to stay with Cincinnati family that evening,  then an
eight hour drive to Kansas City the following morning before the  final 8-9 hours to Denver beginning daylight on Monday, February 10.

For the most part, that Monday afternoon was uneventful. If you're from Kansas I'm sorry, because driving through those flat fields for miles upon miles is as dull as it gets.

Fast forward through Kansas, when I was two hours  from Denver,  a heavy snowstorm hit. I slowed down on the
right-hand lane and let the semis pass me to my left. I'm used to driving in the snow having grown up in NY, but the winds from the plains was fierce, and the temperature had dropped quickly.

Then I hit ice ... and as my Blazer whipped around the highway, I felt complete and utter  helplessness. To this day, I don't think I've ever experienced this type of terror before. (For those of you who have been in a
traumatic car accident, I hope this post is not an anxiety trigger).

After spinning on the highway, the Blazer hit an embankment which sent it flipping five or six times down an
entrance ramp.

I thought each crash was the last, but it didn't seem to end. When it finally did stop, I can't recall what I was
thinking. My emotions were a mix of disbelief, sadness and extreme disappointment.

I'm not quite sure why I'm alive, but I DO remember this: As the car was flipping and I had my arms and hands
covering my face, I kept hearing and believing "I'm going to live." I'm not sure if it was God, a gut reaction, or sheer will .. but whatever the case, I am here, and I am so grateful.

When the car stopped rolling, it landed on the driver's side.  I recall my leg was stuck under the steering wheel, but I was able to  wiggle free, unlock my seat belt (my life saver) and fall down to the passenger side. Somehow, I found
my phone among the glass and  debris, and started screaming for help. I must  have been screaming the entire time because my mouth was filled with glass and dirt. 

A truck of men who were amazingly in the process of obtaining their emergency medical training had seen me flip
over, and ran down the bank  to assist me. I'm pretty sure I was a shaking mess, but I do recall one of
the men pulling me through my shattered driver's side window, and telling me over and over that I was okay, while kindly asking me questions like, "What's your name? How old are you? What year is it?" I gave him a big hug of
silent thanks shortly before he left following the ambulance's arrival. I'll never forget how this stranger's empathy
gave me a small level of hope and peace in what seemed like an impossible situation.

When the ambulance arrived, although I was walking and likely anxiously babbling non-stop, they took me to the
nearest hospital to have pieces of glass removed from my left arm. I considered showing a picture here, but they're reminiscent of  Walking Dead zombie bites,  so I decided to spare you.

A friend met me at the hospital, and after the nurses had removed the glass particles from my arm and wrapped me up, we went back to the crash sight which was not far off.

I couldn't believe my eyes. This strong SUV was withered down to half its size - and the ONLY place in its interior
that wasn't crushed was  right where I was sitting.  I'm not going to lie, I cried a lot that night. 

Moving forward, the reason I'm posting on GoFundMe is:

I lost a lot in the wreck - not just my car, but a considerable amount of personal  items in the vehicle that flew out
through broken windows and couldn't be found.

And no, I'm not talking about $80 rotating toothbrushes, or Urban Decay  Eyeshadow Pallets. More like the
everyday essentials from blow dyers and brushes, to office suits and shoes (which are frustratingly hard for me
to find). Basically, I lost a bit of everything (including some memorabilia of my twins) and the humble truth is I
cannot afford to replace it all.

#1 - Beyond the office attire and other items, I need to get a new car, and quickly. My job is going to require
extensive driving throughout the great State of Colorado.

My insurance appraiser has given me a fairly low figure on my totaled  Blazer, but based on my talks with both used car dealers and leasing  agencies, $1K down should get me back on the road - and maybe some  shampoo too ;)! -
which is why I've set it as my goal.

Thank you so much for your prayers and support.

Much love,
Charity