Miracle On The Howard Frankland Bridge – Listen, Read

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Update 04/13/21: Pictures! The day after the accident I went to the garage where the vehicle had been towed and took 4 pictures of it. Although I can’t find the original 4 pictures, I came across a Xerox copy I made of the pictures while going through an old box of items. I remember making some copies so I could give them to a few people to show them what the car looked like after the accident. Needless to say, after seeing the pictures, they were dumbfounded that I had escaped unharmed except for a small bump on my shin.”  Admin

“The story below actually happened to me in 1997. So when someone tells me God doesn’t exist I just smile, I know He certainly does!”  Admin

 

It was just another typical evening on my way to work, driving west on the Howard Frankland Bridge from Tampa to St. Petersburg, FL. It was shortly after 7:00 PM on April 30, 1997 with the light from the setting sun shimmering off the waters of Tampa Bay. I suddenly heard the crunch of metal on metal coming from the rear wheel on the driver’s side of my car, I found out later that the wheel bearing had burned out causing the tire to come loose. The car started weaving left and right and I could not get it under control. I shot up a quick prayer, saying, “Oh God, don’t let me hit anyone.” The car took a sharp turn to the right and cut across two lanes of traffic and was heading toward the three-foot cement guard rail/wall on the side of the bridge at 65 MPH! Thank God I did not hit anyone and no one hit me.

As the car started heading toward the cement guardrail, everything seemed to be going in slow motion. From my perspective, it appeared to take several seconds for the car to get to the guardrail when in reality it should have taken a second or less. I believe God allowed this to happen so I would have time to send up another prayer, which was, “Oh God, don’t let me go into the water.” After praying this, I just started saying the name of Jesus over and over again.

When the car hit the guardrail, it flipped up into the air, landed on its roof and slid approximately 50 feet in a straight line down the center of the emergency pullover lane at the side of the bridge! Here’s the most miraculous part: the moment the car hit the guard rail, I was instantly transported, in the blink of an eye, from the driver’s seat to the position I wound up in when the car came to a halt, which was lying face down on the roof with the back seat above me, my head toward the guard rail and my feet toward the road. I carelessly was not wearing a seat belt and should have been thrown around inside the car but was not, I was just instantly transported from one position to another. I did not get a single scratch during the course of the accident, just a slight bump on my right shin.

After a few minutes, a car stopped and they pried open my car’s rear door and I was able to push myself out. Needless to say, they were amazed at my unharmed condition. I gave glory to God for His divine protection right there. Thanks be to God that He can deliver us out of seemingly impossible situations, if we will trust Him to do so.