It was a couple of weeks before Christmas in southern California many years ago. The then assistant pastor of a large local church shared this true story that happened in his own family.

His wife and her sister had been Christmas shopping and were speeding along the freeway on their way home. It was a cold, blustery night, dark and rainy. His wife and her sister were busily chatting in the front seat of the car. My friend’s three-year-old daughter was in the backseat by herself.

Suddenly the two adults were aware of a strange, unnatural, and horrifying set of sounds as they heard the back door of the car open, the whistle of wind, and a sickening muffled sound. Quickly they turned and saw the child had fallen out of the car and was tumbling along the freeway.

Panic! The mother slammed o…