PASADENA, CA (February 26, 2007) \u2013 The mountainside tree into which Pasadena Covenant Church Pastor Charles Barker\u2019s car skidded on an ice-coated highway Saturday morning may have saved his life.
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\n\u201cThere are many sheer drop-offs up there, and his car could have plunged over the side,\u201d his wife, Catherine, says. \u201cWe are very thankful for the tree.\u201d<\/p>\n
Barker underwent surgery Sunday morning at Huntington Hospital for a broken arm he suffered in the accident. His face was badly scraped and he has soft-tissue injuries that have left him \u201cvery sore,\u201d Catherine says. She is unsure how long he will remain in the hospital.<\/p>\n
Saturday was Barker\u2019s day off, and he decided to have breakfast at a favorite restaurant located on a mountain north of Pasadena, Catherine says. Barker lost control of his compact vehicle when he hit a patch of ice.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe road really rises in elevation very quickly at one point,\u201d says Catherine, adding that was the level at which Barker\u2019s car hit the ice. The weather had been nice, and there was no ice below where the accident occurred.<\/p>\n
Barker was trying to recover from sliding on one patch of ice he had not seen when he hit another and spun into the tree, Catherine says.<\/p>\n
A passerby stopped several minutes later to help. He flagged another motorist, who then left to find the park ranger. Obtaining help was made difficult because cell phones often don\u2019t work in the mountains.<\/p>\n
The ranger was able to transport Barker to a helipad and use a satellite telephone to contact emergency personnel. A helicopter then flew Barker to Huntington Hospital.<\/p>\n
Because Barker was unable to preach Sunday, members from Pasadena Covenant and a church it is partnering with in the inner city, Church of the Redeemer, shared about the ongoing ministry.<\/p>\n
Catherine says Barker was pleased that Erika Haub, the chairperson at Church of the Redeemer, and Jamie Knauss of Pasadena Covenant were able to fill in on such short notice.<\/p>\n