Carey and I went hiking this morning; something of a habit for us on Saturdays or holidays. More often than not, we'll go out to Thunderbird Park in north Glendale. Such was the case today.
We got out there around 9:00 this morning and entered the park via 59th Ave. We parked in a little lot at the far west end, then hiked up to the main trail that goes around the northern hill, and started heading to the east. As we approached the main entrance to the trail, close to the 59th Ave. entrance to the park, we heard a brief squeal of tires and looked up to see a truck making a quick turn from the inner park road onto the short entrance road, just behind a white SUV. I didn't think much of it and assumed it was some punk showing off in his truck. I turned my attention back to the trail.
A few seconds later, I heard the familiar crunch of metal. I looked up and saw that this truck had pulled out onto 59th Ave. and slammed into the front right panel of the white SUV, which must have pulled onto 59th Ave. just a split second earlier. The truck pushed the white SUV to the east, onto the median, causing the SUV to run over and flatten a metal post and sign in the median.
All of this must have caused the idiot in the truck to loose control because he next swerved sharply to the west, went off the road and down the embankment and back into the park, except this time he was not on the road, but was driving through the rock, brush, cactus, etc. He was driving as fast as he could in that terrain, too. From our vantage point, we could easily hear the truck as he gunned the engine and it bounced over rock and brush. He was clearly trying to escape the situation he was in.
About this time, I noticed a guy in a yellow shirt, a fellow hiker, I presume. He was running along the inner park road, about 100 yards from the truck, yelling profanities at the guy in the truck. My first thought was that this guy had stolen his truck. About that same time, the truck made it to the edge of the desert, about two feet from the asphalt road, and was stuck. I could hear the engine screaming as the guy floored the gas pedal, and the tires digging into the dirt, but he wasn't going anywhere. The man in yellow was still running toward the truck.
Of course, I couldn't pass up the opportunity for some excitement. I told Carey I'd be back and I ran off down the short trail toward the road in pursuit of the man in yellow and the truck. The man in yellow made it to the truck not more than 10 seconds before I did and as I continued running, I watched as he opened the truck door, grabbed the guy inside, yanked him out of the truck and threw him on the ground. That's about the time I arrived, just behind a second gentleman.
The idiot from the truck was struggling, trying to get away, but there was no way he was getting away from me and the man in yellow after we pounced on him (the other guy had stood off to the side). It didn't take long to realize that the idiot was either drunk, under the influence of drugs, or both.
A few moments later, a detective from Phoenix's finest arrived. He happened to be at the park exercising. A crowd began to gather and Glendale's finest were summoned. Prior to their arrival, the idiot entertained us with comments such as "those drugs really knocked me down" and "why are all these people here" and "we don't need to get the police involved. You can take my truck and I'll just walk home" and "I have more lawyers in my family than there are police officers in the whole city" and (looking at the man in yellow) "you don't have any hair." (The man in yellow was as bald as bald can get). I admit that I laughed out loud at a couple of those.
Glendale's finest arrived, we all gave our statements, and Carey and I continued on our hike around the hill. By the time we finished our hike, the tow truck had just hoisted the idiot's truck onto the flatbed and was getting ready to leave. Oh, the idiot had high-centered the front of his truck on a HUGE boulder lining the roadway. I'm not exagerating when I say that there was a good eight inches of air between the ground and the bottom of the front tires. That guy was going nowhere real fast! Completely messed up the underside of his truck, but he seemed to be more concerned with the fact that the little door to the gas cap was dented inward.
I'm grateful for a Church that teaches that our bodies are temples, that teaches the importance of staying away from substances that can harm us physically, emotionally and spiriturally. I'm grateful for agency and the freedom to make those choices. Too bad others cannot learn the simple truth that our freedom, our ability to choose, increases when we make correct choices. Conversely, when we make incorrect decisions, we loose that freedom. Sometimes in dramatic fashion.
Carey and I recently had the hiking experience of our lives. Thunder River, Tapeats Creek and Deer Creek, north side of the Grand Canyon. A true wilderness backpacking experience. Me, Carey and eight other men. Isn't Carey lucky? Four days, 25.5 miles with backpacks, another 4 or 5 without, four nights each in a different location of the canyon. Nine priesthood holders. One daughter of God. Spiritual firesides each night. It was a wonderful experience. Grueling, but wonderful. Can't wait to go again!
