By COLlive reporter
Staff members of Gan Yisroel West in North Fork, California, were left unscathed from a car accident that could have ended badly, according to the mother of one of them.
Five staffers of the girl’s division of the Chabad overnight camp, situated between San Francisco and Los Angeles, were traveling in the car at approximately 4:30 pm on Tuesday when the brakes failed.
Trying to avoid crashing into other vehicles on the road, the driver of the car swerved to the side and ended up hitting a cliff. The vehicle rolled over with its exterior being banged up and windows shattered.
“Ma! We walked out of here alive!!! BH!!!!!” one of the girls in the car emailed her mother with a photo of the wreckage.
The girls were transported to a nearby hospital with minor bruises.
The mother wrote to COLlive.com that, “B’Chasdei Hashem, they were all wearing seatbelts. The first responders said that’s what saved their lives, Baruch Hashem.”
Update: COLlive was informed by the camp that this was an accident, and nothing was wrong with the brakes or the vehicle, which had been checked and was in very good condition.
So grateful that everyone is OK. Thank you Hashem.
Enjoy every moment of life – each one is a gift and a miracle.
Only Miracles!
A grateful parent 🙂
My husband’s neshama was definitely watching over everyone in the camp, ensuring their safety, because his special daughter Chani is there!!! B”H, they are all safe!! And, they are all having a blast!!! Moshiach Now!!
And, yes, we ALL live with miracles…every day! Thank you Hashem for watching over your children in all the camps, campers and counselors alike!
I’m sure some doctor at the hospital mentioned this, but it bears repeating that they should have their spines checked, and especially the neck, for anything pulled or slightly out of place. It will save them from a lifetime of balance problems later. Same thing with MRIs–to be safe against traumatic brain injury, which in incidents like this can show up weeks, months or even years later.
The car was checked and it was found that everything was fine.
besides everything corresponding to the car issue, chasdei Hashem, may we not need it in theese ways…..this is an example camp who care to help the girls in one of their most important mitzves, tznius.
shkoiach
We are so lucky to have you alive and well, Chaya! Cheers from your family in Buffalo! Thanks for using your seatbelt!
As a camp director, teach your kids that they don’t HAVE to go somewhere every day/shabbos etc. They don’t need to drive all over. They shpuld listen to what the directors tell them about how far they should take their car.
The driver did the best thing in the situation. She was not tailgating and in the split second she had when she saw the breaks failed she swerved out of the way of crashing into other vehicles. Because there was a short wall there, the car flipped. I imagine she is traumatized enough that she doesnt need help from nasty, heartless comments about irresponsible drivers and all that. Its total nonsense. Ask any of those who were in the car.
Uber your girls. To big of an achrayis. To many stories
ALWAYS KEEP A CHITAS IN THE CAR
for all those people driving a 2015 Lexus in the Shchunah looking down on the shluchim for not having brand new cars for campers, feel free to sponsor cars. Otherwise drive your fancy cars down Kingston to the restaurant of your choosing and hold back from dictating to the Rebbes Shluchim on how to fulfill their Avoda
Thank you all for posting about cars.
I am a parent of one of the counselors who were in that car.
Bh everyone is ok. She told me the car had been sent for all those checkup that were needed before camp and the car was in great condition.
It’s a in hashems hands.
Inexperienced KIDS are driving summer time , when you drive without experience its a crime ,
Brakes don’t fail !!
dont belive it
Parents — Please insist _Only 20-22 yrs old drive
Good time to give Tzedakah! B”H everyone is OK!
i hope every one is emotionally ok!
Good job being alive. Baruch Hashem
-mrs lemon juice
BH they didnt get hurt! Its really a big miracle.
please see that the car is in GOOD condition and not a …….car
CAMPS DONT PLAY GAME WHEN GIVING CAR S
It’s only G-ds hand that can make a miracle like that.please to all the directors out there..the cars u give to the counselors should be one u would give to ur own children!!some of the cars driven by counselors are really not acceptable…bh for a wonderful outcome!!
BH No one was hurt.
Counselors, both bochurim and girls, drive safely. When you get behind the wheel of a car, you are responsible!
Thank you Hashem
As a staff member of Gan Yisroel West, I just wanted to say that, while this was very scary, the camp directors do a great job and do everything they can for all of us. They have big hearts and we thank them.
Comprehensive full coverage insurance is the one to make sure you have.
B’H for chasdei Hashem. But the concept of “camp cars” has to stop. Directors are responsible for the safety of their staff. The cars given to all staff should be the latest models with the most upgraded safety features. I know most camps can’t afford it but nobody can afford an accident chas vesholom either.
My daughter is in charge of a Gan Israel in Northern CA also. This article is terrifying. She is the driver for the counselors. She said her vehicle has over 300,000 miles on it. I wouldn’t mind if their amazing accommodations were downgraded for a better car! Why do we put our kids in jalopys?
Baruch Hashem, very happy to read such good news. 🙂
these places have to get safer cars I have heard story after story of these schools and camps that give these kids very old junky cars. I know money is tight but safety should come first.
As a staff member of Gan Yisroel West, I just wanted to say that, while this was very scary, the camp directors do a great job and do everything they can for all of us. They have big hearts and we thank them.
BH Thanks Hashem
we know that everything is a miracle
but lately, we are in need of many miracles for many car accidents that are happening in camps or car explotions
there are very few cars in camp, and too many accidents!
Not reliables cars are provided ( 1 car exploded, many cars with accidents) Do the drivers know how to drive?
This is a real miracle … The real director of all the camps is the Rebbe… He protect all the staff and children
No one has inspected the vehicle. We do not know what went wrong.
why do we continue to allow our kids to be given old,used, rusty donated cars that could be 20 years
I’ve worked for many Shluchim, and recall vividly having to call for help on a highway because the car just stopped working. Thank gd it turned out alright. Dented cars, bad brakes, broken air conditioning, it’s not right! Us Shluchim need to be given adequate tools to do the Rebbes work. We don’t need to rely on miracles just to get to the office or camp in this scary case. May this be the last issue we hear of! Amen!
Put car into a low gear first to help slow it down
Attention ALL CAMP DIRECTORS
******IMPORTANT*******
Rent new cars for the counsellors.
It’s an added expense.
But the only way , A MUST.
Get a Balabos to sponsor
Gone are the days when ANYONE should be driving
A ‘ROLLS CANHARDLY’
( rolls down the hill
Can hardly stop)
Please
These are people’s lives we’re talking about
Would you let your son or daughter drive an old
Jalopy ….. This is probably the Most justified
Expense
Sechel
Sechel
PLEASE
LIMAAN HASHEM!!
In addition to the typical Chitas and pushka which every vehicle should have, I vaguely remember hearing something about a letter which the Rebbe may’ve written to Rabbi B.Shlomo Cunin about having a kosher mezuzah in the glove compartment as an added safety measure, esp in the summer time. Either way, can’t hurt. BH for this ness!
Thank you Hashem for this nes.
My son was also saved by his seat belt. Baruch Hashem. The first responders said it was a miracle he survived.
Please teach your children (by example) that the car doesn’t move till all belts are buckled.
Bh they are all safe!
To all camp directors please make sure you don’t give your staff cars that are not reliable. It is very dangerous and unsafe to put young kids behind vehicles that’s are not safe to be on the road.
You don’t say.
I hope thus car just malfunctioned at the moment of the crash; and that the car was in full working condition before the counselors drove it!
Shluchim please make sure card are safe!!
MIRACLE WE CAME OUT OKAY!!!
HASHEM WE LOVE YOU!!
EVERYONE MUST WEAR SEATBELTS!!
B”H This is a big Miracle.
As a camp director, I have counselors coming next week.
I took the car that they’re going to use into the mechanic today to replace the brakes and make sure everything else is a hundred percent, please all camp directors do the same.
and make sure you have good insurance on the vehicles, liability not the minimum.
thank you
Baruch Hashem there were no major injuries, just a couple of bumps and scratches.
Moshiach now
Chasdei Hashem! And smart girls who all used the seat belts! I had a girlfriend from camp who used to pooh-pooh seat belts. While driving without her seat belt, she hit a guard rail one day, was thrown from her car, and died instantly. She left two little boys to be raised by her mother. May Hashem keep everyone safe this summer, and may we all use our sechel to make a keili for safety.
B”h, they are all okay. They should still be monitored for internal injuries, Chos V’shalom.
As a mum, I’m so happy you survived.tg