<p>(Preface: All of this is the way I view your topic. If it doesn’t ring true to you, please disregard. Your essay should reflect who you are and what’s important to you. k? :))</p>
<p>I wouldn’t “just” talk about how it changed you. I’d probably spend about 2/3 of the essay describing the situation – from being lost to losing control of the vehicle to flipping to realizing that, against all odds, you were alive and unharmed. And then the flood of relief, wonder, gratitude… All matter of fact, but using vivid, evocative language to put the reader into your place.</p>
<p>Then I’d spend the last 1/3 or so of the essay discussing how it changed your outlook on life. What made you decide you want to spend it helping people? Do you feel indebted, like you’re living on borrowed time? Do you feel that it’s important to bring as much good from your life as possible, now that you know life is so fleeting and unpredictable? Do you treasure your relationships more, knowing that they could be over tomorrow? Do you feel passionate about transportation safety now, and want to spare other teens the kind of fate you narrowly escaped?</p>
<p>If you mention a specific career path, tie it in directly with what you experienced. If that doesn’t work, you might explain why you now feel drawn to public service (a term with fewer negative associations than government) or diplomacy (how will your being a diplomat help people?). But the way I see this topic, I wouldn’t dwell on this part much – unless your career choice can make a truly compelling case that the college you’re applying to is the perfect place for you to fulfill your newly inspired commitment to life.</p>