Cloral
11-26-2003, 07:35 PM
You know, I used to wonder what it was like for people who were in a roll-over accident and ended up upside down. I don't have to wonder that anymore.
My parents moved to St.George, Utah after the start of the university year, so this Thanksgiving break is the first time I've been to this house after they moved in. My dad picked me up at the airport in Vegas and we headed off towards St.George on the I-15. Traffic was decently heavy (not like LA, but still a fair bit) and it was slow going for a while. After we passed an accident, the traffic opened up a bit. But then it began slowing down again. My dad started to slow down a bit in anticipation, then the guy in front of us hit his brakes really hard. So my dad had to break hard to keep from hitting him. Unfortunately, behind us was a tractor-trailer following a bit too close. We heard the screeching of brakes and I saw the cab of the truck in my side-view mirror. Next thing, there was a huge smash and we went flying. We started in the right-hand lane, but ended up on the left hand side. We hit the median and flipped.
Thankfully, we both had our seat belts on, so we both ended up hanging upside down still in our seats. I asked my dad if he was ok, which he said he was. So I said that I was going to get out - you know, in case there was a gas leak, I didn't want to stay anywhere near the vehicle. So I undid my seatbelt and crawled on the ceiling towards the back of the van. The trunk had latched open in the collision, so I climbed out easily. As I got out, I saw that about 10 people had stopped to help. One was already calling 911. I looked myself over, and about my only injury was that my hands were all cut up. I guess there was a lot of glass on the ceiling as I crawled out. My dad was soon out, and he too was barely injured. I don't know what exactly happened to the truck driver. We ended up on the left side of the freeway, and the truck was on the right side. I hope nothing too bad happened to him, but I really don't know right now. Our stuff had managed to empty itself all over the highway, but the kind folks who had stopped gathered it up for us. My suitcase had been in the trunk, and it must've fallen out upon impact, as it was sitting right next to the truck. But still, everything of mine inside was prefectly fine - my shaving cream didn't even leak one bit!
The paramedics and cops showed up. They looked us over and agreed that we seemed to be mostly alright, but said that due to the severity of the accident, we should go in for observation. So we did. They took us to University Medical Center, with our bodies all immobalized in case there was a spinal cord injury we didn't know about. But we both cleared and were discharged. Now we were left with a bit of a dilemma. We were still in Las Vegas, which is about 2 hours from St.George. I had my cell phone, but my mother was at a real-estate class and the building they were at didn't have a phone. Left with no better option, we contacted the Smiths who live on our street. Not only did they go find my mother at her class, but, because our other car was in the shop, they drove her all the way down to come pick us up! If this is what Mormon kindness and hospitality is about, then I must say it is a very good thing.
All in all, I'm amazed that I wasn't seriously hurt. The van was pretty well mangled, and when I was on the highway looking at it, I couldn't believe that I had just been inside it. I guess it goes to show though just how valuble your seat belt really is. I doubt I'd be alive right now if I hadn't been wearing it - especially since our air bags failed to deploy. I still can feel the impact from time to time, it was so hard. I'll be sitting there, and then bam! it's like I'm back in the van and we're getting hit again. The shock just passes right through my body. And because I never blacked out, I remember the whole thing.
Here's to hoping you all have a better Thanksgiving break than me! And wear your damn seatbelt! It just might save your life.
My parents moved to St.George, Utah after the start of the university year, so this Thanksgiving break is the first time I've been to this house after they moved in. My dad picked me up at the airport in Vegas and we headed off towards St.George on the I-15. Traffic was decently heavy (not like LA, but still a fair bit) and it was slow going for a while. After we passed an accident, the traffic opened up a bit. But then it began slowing down again. My dad started to slow down a bit in anticipation, then the guy in front of us hit his brakes really hard. So my dad had to break hard to keep from hitting him. Unfortunately, behind us was a tractor-trailer following a bit too close. We heard the screeching of brakes and I saw the cab of the truck in my side-view mirror. Next thing, there was a huge smash and we went flying. We started in the right-hand lane, but ended up on the left hand side. We hit the median and flipped.
Thankfully, we both had our seat belts on, so we both ended up hanging upside down still in our seats. I asked my dad if he was ok, which he said he was. So I said that I was going to get out - you know, in case there was a gas leak, I didn't want to stay anywhere near the vehicle. So I undid my seatbelt and crawled on the ceiling towards the back of the van. The trunk had latched open in the collision, so I climbed out easily. As I got out, I saw that about 10 people had stopped to help. One was already calling 911. I looked myself over, and about my only injury was that my hands were all cut up. I guess there was a lot of glass on the ceiling as I crawled out. My dad was soon out, and he too was barely injured. I don't know what exactly happened to the truck driver. We ended up on the left side of the freeway, and the truck was on the right side. I hope nothing too bad happened to him, but I really don't know right now. Our stuff had managed to empty itself all over the highway, but the kind folks who had stopped gathered it up for us. My suitcase had been in the trunk, and it must've fallen out upon impact, as it was sitting right next to the truck. But still, everything of mine inside was prefectly fine - my shaving cream didn't even leak one bit!
The paramedics and cops showed up. They looked us over and agreed that we seemed to be mostly alright, but said that due to the severity of the accident, we should go in for observation. So we did. They took us to University Medical Center, with our bodies all immobalized in case there was a spinal cord injury we didn't know about. But we both cleared and were discharged. Now we were left with a bit of a dilemma. We were still in Las Vegas, which is about 2 hours from St.George. I had my cell phone, but my mother was at a real-estate class and the building they were at didn't have a phone. Left with no better option, we contacted the Smiths who live on our street. Not only did they go find my mother at her class, but, because our other car was in the shop, they drove her all the way down to come pick us up! If this is what Mormon kindness and hospitality is about, then I must say it is a very good thing.
All in all, I'm amazed that I wasn't seriously hurt. The van was pretty well mangled, and when I was on the highway looking at it, I couldn't believe that I had just been inside it. I guess it goes to show though just how valuble your seat belt really is. I doubt I'd be alive right now if I hadn't been wearing it - especially since our air bags failed to deploy. I still can feel the impact from time to time, it was so hard. I'll be sitting there, and then bam! it's like I'm back in the van and we're getting hit again. The shock just passes right through my body. And because I never blacked out, I remember the whole thing.
Here's to hoping you all have a better Thanksgiving break than me! And wear your damn seatbelt! It just might save your life.