My wreck
There has apparently been a bit of confusion among our friends about my wreck - some understood that because I came out "okay" that I had no injuries at all (untrue). This being the case, plus the fact that some have only heard that I was in a wreck (no details), here's what happened.
I was on my way to work going south on Sandy Plains Rd. (a somewhat divided highway with turn lanes and medians sprinkled throughout). I had just heard a traffic report citing ice on several roads around metro Atlanta and decided to pull over in to the right lane - my turn was coming up and I wanted to slow down and watch for ice.
I never saw it; even afterwards, standing almost directly next to it on the median, myself, the cops and firemen had to look hard for the sheet of black ice that ran from the center of the road almost to the curb.
My truck (98 Ford Ranger Std. Cab) took off to the left at about a 45° angle. I immediately braked and attempted to steer right to the point I could feel the truck start to fish-tail. At the time I lost control, I was in between two medians; the one behind me was of no concern, but the one I was now traveling toward was a problem (that, plus I still didn't have complete control). Continuing to steer right would have clipped the corner of the median and probably flipped me - I estimate that I was going around 30 mph at this point - or caused a further loss of control. So I straightened her up.
At this point, I knew I was safe from the median, but not from oncoming traffic. There was a car in each of the oncoming lanes except the turn lane, which I aimed for. I was still standing on the brakes and began edging right until I could feel it just start to fish-tail again. I came to a complete stop in their left (my right) oncoming lane and was pretty much straight up, headlight to headlight with a GMC Sierra.
I actually remember having enough time to think "I can put it in reverse, pop the clutch and at the most probably take a glancing blow." Just as I thought this, I saw his front end dive down - he had just stood on his brakes and was maybe 20 to 30 feet in front of me (I could actually see his face through our windshields and thought that he resembled my wife's boss). At that point, I braced.
I honestly don't know if it was the sound of metal crunching or the airbag deploying, or both, but it was loud; indoor gun range with a magnum loud. I now know that I blacked out for a second or two - I don't remember hitting my head on the roof of the truck, but there is a visible scar from where I did. I was spun around and had basically done a 180° turn, ironically ending up in the turn lane I was aiming for and looking like I was moving with the flow of traffic.
I sat there for quite a while dazed, saddened (I had just changed the oil!), a little confused. Waiting for emergency personnel to appear, I had a perfect view of my skid marks and tracked them back to the point of origin, still unable to see the ice. I started checking myself out - my thumb felt jammed, some soreness in my shoulders, but nothing else noticeable at the time.
Soon after, a lady came up to tell me that 911 had been called and to check on me. I told her I was fine and attempted to open my door, but couldn't - the front right panel had been pushed back just enough so that I couldn't open it easily, so I sat there until police and ambulances arrived, during which time I saw at least two other cars hit the same ice I did; however, due to rubbernecking speeds of about 10 mph, it was nothing more than a tire spinning for a few feet.
Because my wife works at a hospital and nothing seemed broken or bruised, I chose to wait until she could get there and take me to her hospital. At this point, walking around outside, I noticed the pain in my right knee - my so-called "good knee." X-rays did indeed come back negative for both it and my left thumb (bent back by the airbag); however the bruise to my knee (hit the dashboard) was just off center of my knee cap, so some ligament swelling occurred. I walked out with prescriptions for good drugs, a leg immobilizer, and a thumb splint, which has been a general way of life for me for the past 2 weeks.
I'm now able to walk without the immobilizer (somewhat) and will only be wearing the thumb splint part time now. I still have a beautiful bruise across my collar bone (beautiful because it was caused by my seatbelt) and still feel a bruise on my right rib cage - the latter of which is currently the most painful and aggravating.
That's why my wife and I have been calling me okay; I survived a head on collision without anything broken, no concussion, and no internal injuries. The only "long term" injuries were to my knee, now considered a moderate sprain, and my thumb, also a moderate sprain.
And I've seen my skid marks every morning I've come to work since. It really could have been a lot worse.
I was on my way to work going south on Sandy Plains Rd. (a somewhat divided highway with turn lanes and medians sprinkled throughout). I had just heard a traffic report citing ice on several roads around metro Atlanta and decided to pull over in to the right lane - my turn was coming up and I wanted to slow down and watch for ice.
I never saw it; even afterwards, standing almost directly next to it on the median, myself, the cops and firemen had to look hard for the sheet of black ice that ran from the center of the road almost to the curb.
My truck (98 Ford Ranger Std. Cab) took off to the left at about a 45° angle. I immediately braked and attempted to steer right to the point I could feel the truck start to fish-tail. At the time I lost control, I was in between two medians; the one behind me was of no concern, but the one I was now traveling toward was a problem (that, plus I still didn't have complete control). Continuing to steer right would have clipped the corner of the median and probably flipped me - I estimate that I was going around 30 mph at this point - or caused a further loss of control. So I straightened her up.
At this point, I knew I was safe from the median, but not from oncoming traffic. There was a car in each of the oncoming lanes except the turn lane, which I aimed for. I was still standing on the brakes and began edging right until I could feel it just start to fish-tail again. I came to a complete stop in their left (my right) oncoming lane and was pretty much straight up, headlight to headlight with a GMC Sierra.
I actually remember having enough time to think "I can put it in reverse, pop the clutch and at the most probably take a glancing blow." Just as I thought this, I saw his front end dive down - he had just stood on his brakes and was maybe 20 to 30 feet in front of me (I could actually see his face through our windshields and thought that he resembled my wife's boss). At that point, I braced.
I honestly don't know if it was the sound of metal crunching or the airbag deploying, or both, but it was loud; indoor gun range with a magnum loud. I now know that I blacked out for a second or two - I don't remember hitting my head on the roof of the truck, but there is a visible scar from where I did. I was spun around and had basically done a 180° turn, ironically ending up in the turn lane I was aiming for and looking like I was moving with the flow of traffic.
I sat there for quite a while dazed, saddened (I had just changed the oil!), a little confused. Waiting for emergency personnel to appear, I had a perfect view of my skid marks and tracked them back to the point of origin, still unable to see the ice. I started checking myself out - my thumb felt jammed, some soreness in my shoulders, but nothing else noticeable at the time.
Soon after, a lady came up to tell me that 911 had been called and to check on me. I told her I was fine and attempted to open my door, but couldn't - the front right panel had been pushed back just enough so that I couldn't open it easily, so I sat there until police and ambulances arrived, during which time I saw at least two other cars hit the same ice I did; however, due to rubbernecking speeds of about 10 mph, it was nothing more than a tire spinning for a few feet.
Because my wife works at a hospital and nothing seemed broken or bruised, I chose to wait until she could get there and take me to her hospital. At this point, walking around outside, I noticed the pain in my right knee - my so-called "good knee." X-rays did indeed come back negative for both it and my left thumb (bent back by the airbag); however the bruise to my knee (hit the dashboard) was just off center of my knee cap, so some ligament swelling occurred. I walked out with prescriptions for good drugs, a leg immobilizer, and a thumb splint, which has been a general way of life for me for the past 2 weeks.
I'm now able to walk without the immobilizer (somewhat) and will only be wearing the thumb splint part time now. I still have a beautiful bruise across my collar bone (beautiful because it was caused by my seatbelt) and still feel a bruise on my right rib cage - the latter of which is currently the most painful and aggravating.
That's why my wife and I have been calling me okay; I survived a head on collision without anything broken, no concussion, and no internal injuries. The only "long term" injuries were to my knee, now considered a moderate sprain, and my thumb, also a moderate sprain.
And I've seen my skid marks every morning I've come to work since. It really could have been a lot worse.
posted by misawa at 1:48 PM
11 Comments:
Yes, it could've been very worse.
BTW, have you guys finally invested in a cell phone for you since this happened?
You need one...
PLEASE PAUSE FOR THE INSTALLATION OF THE SOAP BOX:
I think that everyone having a cell phone is completely rediculous - even in this situation. We have to take care of our wives and they should have one but both parties do not need to have one.
As this example illustrates, a bystander called 911 before Misawa could even come to his sences - if that is even possible.
If everyone else has a cell phone, then you do not need one - because there is always a phone around to borrow.
PLEASE PARDON THE INTERRUPTION - YOU MAY NOW RETURN TO THE PREVIOUS PROGRAM
Dude, that's some serious stuff. Glad it wasn't worse, 'cause around here the other cars are aiming for you when you show weakness!
The Opinionated Woodbutcher is wrong, wrong, wrong.
What if he had crashed off the side of a road at night and no one saw? What if he had just gotten a flat and didn't have a spare, and no one was stopping? Will he be able to play Texas Hold'em on his cellphone when waiting for the movie to start? No!
The Opinionated Woodbutcher...
I'm not going to call you out, but I'm still clearing the tears from my eyes - what a great screen name! (I know you've told me that one before, but there was still a moment of "Huh?")
And no, Mark, I still haven't gotten a cell; at this point it's been back-burnered even more.
Jeff - that's why I have a Gameboy.
Just wait 'til I get my two-cents in with you guys the next time we get together.
Oh, and you Mr. Woodbutcher:
I believe YOU have a cell phone, don't ya? I'll give you an ear full, too... ;-)
You young men are gonna give me a heart attack!
Allow the Opinionated Woodbutcher to explain:
The only reason that the Woodbutcher has a cell phone is so that business calls do not come in on the house line.
In the event that the Butcher Shop closes - the cell phone will disappear very shortly after the event.
Forget about the cell phones. The man just had a head-on wreck and has lived to tell the story. When I got the call that he had been in a head-on wreck I was quickly thinking of how quick I could get to Atlanta. I was quickly told that he was OK. So I just called him later. I also don't carry a cell phone all of the time unless I'm going on a long distance trip. My wife has a cell phone and she keeps it majority of the time because she drives back and forth from our home in Dublin to her work in Milledgeville. But the cell phone doesn't do her any good in Wilkinson County (between Dublin and Milledgeville). She doesn't get service until she's in Milledgeville or back in Dublin. I personally can write a lot about cell phones usage. But I'll end with this. There is nothing like having to do your business in a public restroom and hearing a man talk on his cell phone in the stall next to you.
San Antonio
You boys are touchy. I wish a new cell phone and service was part of the budget. Unfortunately they don't make $20 plans like mine anymore. I'm just thankful he's alive.
lil md: (yes, I know who you are...) :-)
We're not "touchy"...we're just trying to give your beloved the hits on his site. Wee men must pick fights or risk being called a bunch of sissies.
If a cell phone won't cut it, I'll loan him my CB.
As for the budget issue, I canceled my home phone and use only my cellphone (using cable for my Internet connection). The cellphone is cheaper than BellSouth was, so I'm actually coming out ahead.
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