Volume 44   Number 10                                                                                     June 2002

Hartman This firsthand account is from an old man who never had a comment or an open prayer in church, but does believe in God!

One time in church our class teacher, Gary Lane, asked us, "How do you know that there is a God?" My answer would come in just a few days after I had an accident on April 19th, 2001.

I was changing oil on my truck. Got finished. Truck was up on a ramp. I got in, put it in reverse. It didn't want to back off. So I got out and walked all the way around to see if something was under the wheels. Saw nothing, but then noticed the emergency brake was on. I reach in, pull the brake off. Truck started off the ramp pretty fast. I run with it a little way then I stop and thought I let it go. But the door was open behind me, and it knocked me down! Trying to get up, I got my foot under the wheel and it went up my leg. I watched it and when it got to my groin, I saw death very plain!

I wasn't scared or hurting, yet I knew my stomach couldn't hold the truck up. I thought I saw the wheel drop about 4" and I saw plainly the end. I turn my head away from the wheel. Then a loud voice said, "God!" Then I notice the truck had stopped. It never got on my stomach. Then I really got scared, the worst I ever was in my life! I hollered, "Help!". By taking in a deep breath, I was able to holler four times (loud). I hollered (I'm pretty sure) 16 times. Finally, I saw my wife coming. She came to the truck and said, "I don't know what to do." I said, "Drive the truck off me." After two trials, she made it.

By this time, I had a good audience: two women, one nurse, one coroner. Street working men with a backhoe and a Bobcat. Coroner cut my overall off. My wife said later it was one of my better pairs. I saw this: my leg from the knee up was solid black and very plain tread marks of my truck in the black leg. Here comes the ambulance. Put me on a stretcher, put on a neck brace, arm and legs tied, oxygen, glucose, then it was off to the hospital where they took a central x-ray ... nothing! Doctor came and asked a few questions, then sent me home I will never know what went to that black leg. I think it all left before I got to the hospital.

In the Bible we read in John 11:43 where Jesus shouted loud at Bethany.

I believe the Spirit shouted loud at Brighton the day my truck ran over me.

I am going to call this a miracle.