near disaster for the Buick

After a good breakfast at a neat little cafe in  town we headed for Mitchell SD. We made a reservation at the Holiday Inn there. Our schedule showed we would arrive about 5PM. Just 10 miles west of Mitchell while driving in a single lane construction zone, the left rear axle broke. We were driving east about 70 mph, when it broke we went skidding sideways down the lane vering towards the oncoming lane and doing a full 180 degree turn before coming to a stop in the opposite lane facing west!! Wow what a ride!! I cought my breathe, opened the door and got out. A car pulled up right behind us, sure glad he was not there 2 minutes ago. Two kids and a man helped me push the car to the side so the lane would not be blocked any longer. I can't believe we skidded like that and spun around 180 degrees and did no other damage to the car. I called AAA and ordered a flatbed, then called 911 for assistance from the law, we were just inches off of thr far right line, big trucks were whizzing by us just inches away, we could not get the car any farther off of the lane. The sherriff arrived in a few minutes then finally the flatbead got there. Seemed like an hour but was only about 35 minutes. We got it drug up on the flat bed and headed for thre hotel. I called my good friend Lumpy and asked him if he could come in the morning with his trailer and truck. He should be here about noon. Hopefully we can wench it onto his trailer and head for home. 400 miles to go.  The small rear wheel well opening kept the tire inside the well, otherwise it would have flown somewhere out in the ditch. The right rear hubcap flew off and landed in the ditch, I retrived it and tossed it into the trunk.
My good luck continues......yes a problem, but could have been so much worse!!  If those west bound cars were just seconds closer we would have crashed head on into them, if the axle would have broken a few miles earlier when we were crusing at 80, who knows what would have happened. If it broke earlier this morning when we were driving across the Indian Reservation...we would still be there waiting for help.....no phone service and very little traffic.  Never a dull momment on a trip.