Don't ever fall asleep at the wheel

NYSpeed Automotive NYSpeed Off Topic
1

About two and a half years ago (10.23.04) I got into a bad car accident.

I was going to school at Alfred University at the time, and I was comming back home very early in the morning. About and hour and a half or so into the drive, I fell asleep at the wheel, went into oncoming traffic and hit a semi truck head on going approximately 60-70mph. It was a fully loaded Walmart truck.

Luckily, and I don’t know why or how, but I walked away from the accident. My left forearm broke in 5 spots, which was a compound fracture where my bone came out of the skin, I dislocated my elbow and shoulder, and partially tore a few tendons and ligaments in my left shoulder. I also reptured two disks in my lower back and dislocated two ribs.

When I woke up I was in a state of instant shock. My left arm was mangled, my legs were pinned under the dash, and my right foot was stuck in the floorboard.

A gentleman ran up to me and asked if I was ok, then I realized I hit somebody, so I asked, “Wait, is the other guy ok?” He stared at me with a blank look on his face, and I thought to myself I probably killed somebody. So I asked again if the other party was ok, and the gentleman replied, “You hit a semi truck.” I didn’t believe him and I walked away, and told the gentleman to get away from me.

Sure enough the smoke clears, and I see the semi truck that I just hit, and started to laugh. I looked up into the sky and realized someone or something has given me a second chance at life.

Since then my life hasn’t been the same. I had to take a medical leave of absence from Alfred University, which I had a full scholarship to, I went to ECC the next semester and barely went to class because I felt that I was wasting my time since I was a smart kid (no offense to anyone that attends ECC), and can’t play any sports anymore.

So now I’m on so many medications and I can’t do the things I love in life, and my education has been on pause for a few years. It seems like I don’t have any motivation to go back to school or do anything but work, and work on my car, even though I can’t do things without taking frequent breaks to sit down and rest my back.

Here are a few pictures from my accident. Shitty quality but you can see the damage.

http://a505.ac-images.myspacecdn.com/images01/37/l_aeccee24f8972829bf1e34178ab6be98.jpg

http://a39.ac-images.myspacecdn.com/images01/44/l_6bac0e06b47714fc40fc373fa8b0afae.jpg

2

holy shit

thats wild that you walked away from that…

3

Wow. Thank God you are ok…

4

This should be a lesson to everyone to wear your seatbelt. I have a huge scar on my shoulder that reminds me everyday that the seatbelt saved my life.

But now I’m on Naproxen, Cyclobenzaprine, Oxycontin, and Lortabs because my back and arm is so F’ed up.

Everyday pain > being dead

5

What road was this on may I ask. ( I went to AU from 02-04 and AState from 04-06) and I almost think I remember this in the papers…

6

holy shit glad you walked from that. sounds like your on some crazy pain killers… have you ever sought other forms of pain treatment? those meds are no joke.

7

good god thumbs up on being alive…btw way do you work at maxis pizzeria and live on 5 or is that your brother

8

When I use to have to be at work at 6am after a 45 min ride… The ride home was always a killer, I would just wake up, and not remember how long i was asleep for… :frowning:

pretty scary,

9

That looks like a Ford 3.8L in there. Is that a Taurus/Sable?

10

Glad ur alright man. :tup:

11

ryanmcell: Do you still have those papers? Because I would like to see them. It was on rte 305.

strokingnova: I work at Ford Stamping Plant, but yes I used to live on rt 5 in Hamburg and my brother used to work at Maxi’s. Do I know you? Or does my brother?

trueblue: Yes its a Ford 3.8, I was driving a 93 Mercury Sable at the time for the winter while I stored my SVT Focus.

wickedcivy: I was stopped taking pain killers for about 6 months or so a year after my accident but I had to go back on them because the pain is just too much when I come home from work or when I try to work on my car and what not.

When I came home and went to visit my old highschool, people were shocked to see me because apparantly it was announced that I died in the accident :bloated:

FORD4L :tspry:

12

Ill check for paperwork, but as of now not sure.

13

Man that looks like SHOtimes old SHO after he hit a semi head on, and took out a tree. A few years back.

14

I was just going to post that Devin. I hit a semi head on as well on Clinton in November 03. (I didnt hit a tree too Devin, at least i dont think so lol). I brok my arm/wrist and my left collarbone (seatbelt). I know have a plate in my arm and had pins in my wrist. The SHO was obv totalled and they had to use the jaws of life to get me out. I didnt remember what happened and still to this day do not. I assume I fell asleep. Ill have to post up pictures sometime (they used to be on UBRF)

15

crazy. glad you survived tho… you’ll get back on track completely soon.

16

[quote=“02svtfocus,post:4,topic:28969"”]

Everyday pain > being dead

[/quote]

Glad you’re alright man and you have a great attitude :tup:

17

/\ Word to that.

Taurus / Sables are safe cars. There was a guy on the SHO list that turned his V8 SHO into something that looked like a metallic spitwad and came out with a broken arm. I should see if I can find the picture.

That’s some serious shit right there - glad to see you’re relatively “okay” right now and you’ve got the right attitude. :tup:

18

[quote=“STEALTTH,post:16,topic:28969"”]

Glad you’re alright man and you have a great attitude :tup:

[/quote]

I’m an old school tough kid, all my life I never let physical pain get in the way, but now its just too much.

I played a football game with a concussion, one time in a basketball game I fractured my ankle and walked it off, broke fingers and just taped them up, tore a ligament and tendon in my throwing arm during a baseball game and got a cortozone shot and kept playing.

Scars > tattos

[quote=“Mrs. Karus,post:15,topic:28969"”]

crazy. glad you survived tho… you’ll get back on track completely soon.

[/quote]

My arm, back, and shoulder will never be 100%

19

yea its a hard lesoon to learn i learned it to
\

20

pussy! i woulda walked that off!

Im glad you lived through that <3 <3