Life would be pretty boring, if it weren't so damn interesting.

Just in case we were feeling cocky about getting Dad into the Jewish Home (JHA), Life decided to give us a little reminder of what it could do to us if we weren't properly wary.

We were on our way to visit Dad, headed East on Brotherhood to Alemany, the quickest way from Grilleyville to the JHA. We crossed the intersect where Brotherhood ends and connects with Alemany. Rachel was dozing in the passenger seat; I was driving and thinking about how great it was for Dad to be at the JHA.

We were just about to pass under highway 280 when Life gave us a wake-up slap. Suddenly, a mini-van appeared in front of us going the wrong way! It smashed into the pick-up in front of us -- the sound was what got my attention first -- popped up onto the median divider, and passed me.

Luckily for us, he missed us completely. Not so the pick-up or the Jeep Cherokee in front of him. The lady driving the Jeep saw the mini-van coming at her head-on and stopped. The pick-up, unaware at that point of Life trying to ruin everyone's day, slammed into her and knocked her far enough forward that the mini-van crossed between them (almost) to tag the pick-up.

As he passed me, I looked at the driver. Unfortunately, I didn't really pay enough attention to details to be able to give the police a terribly accurate description -- a middle-aged man, round faced, dark hair, pretty sure he was clean shaven, possibly not wearing glasses. What I did see, though, was his expression.

That look of complete horror that attacks one's face when you hit someone or something was completely absent. In fact, I saw no concern at all. What I saw was the expression of someone driving a new-ish car and parking in a spot that's just a little tight. A little care for a tricky maneuver, and nothing more.

As he passed by, I somehow got the sense that he wasn't going to stop, and sure enough he didn't. I started repeating his license plate, shouting it as I got out of the car, so that I could remember it and Rachel could write it down.

I wish... I wish a million things. Mostly, I wish I had taken a closer look at the details of his face -- I really should know better -- and that I had run after him. I don't know what I would have done when I caught up to him -- perhaps pull the keys from the ignition, perhaps get a better look, perhaps just ask him Why?

What I did do is make sure Rachel was writing down the plate and grab the celphone to call the police. At that point, I hadn't yet realized that the Jeep was involved, though I could see it stopped up ahead. The 911 operator asked if anyone was hurt, and I said that we weren't, as did the pick-up driver. I then went to check on the Jeep.

The driver of the Jeep had definitely been hurt. She was unable to move, and was in pain. So the paramedics were called out. I told her, as did Rachel later, not to move. She didn't seem inclined to do so anyway, but better safe than sorry.

Next, I asked if she had a camera. She did, and her mother (in the passenger seat) dug out a little disposible camera. A quick tip: Always keep a loaded camera in your car for just such an occasion. Hopefully, you will never need it, but if you are ever in an accident, it can save a lot of hassle later trying to remember exactly what happened, and allows you to get your vehicles out of traffic right away.

The cops arrived about then, so I set Rachel to the task of photodocumentarian while I talked to them. Soon, the fire truck and ambulance had joined us, and we had quite the macabre little party going. We all traded information and stories while the paramedics packed up the poor injured woman.

With the license number, the cops were able to trace the van to the inner sunset and other officers were sent to see if it could be found there. Meanwhile, they gave us the bad news -- most likely, because they would be unable to prove who was driving, they wouldn't be able to charge the driver with anything. He would get away scott free.

The driver of the pick-up didn't think that the mini-van had hit him, and the cop said that if that were true, the mini-van driver couldn't have been charged anyway -- he hadn't committed a crime, only a moving violation. Luckily, however, I had seen -- and heard -- the mini-van hit the truck and I was prepared to say so on record.

The cop let him know that he was lucky -- if the van hadn't hit him, he would have been completely at fault for hitting the Jeep as far as the insurance companies would be concerned. Since they couldn't go after the mini-van driver, the Jeep's insurer was certain to come after him.

I really feel bad for the lady driving the Jeep; not only did she get some serious damage done to her vehicle, she got pretty seriously hurt as well. The pick-up guy, however, is the one really getting screwed. Even if he doesn't get the blame for hitting the Jeep (he shouldn't), his truck is totalled, and it is unlikely that he would have full coverage on an older (mid-80's?) Ford light truck. Even if he does, I doubt it will cover the cost of a new one, just a used one of unknown reliability and history.

As for us, we got a reminder of just how bad people drive, and how uncaring they are. The driver of the minivan was probably drunk, and, according to the police officer, quite possibly unlicensed and uninsured. He'll stumble away to try again, to have another chance to kill.

So, if you see a dark colored Nissan minivan with the license plate

More importantly, don't drink and drive, and stay alert! There are an awful lot of idiots out there, and a goodly portion of them are headed right for you.