Posted

May 26th 2007

Mood

ALIVE!

Music

Pain - Three Days grace (appropriate, no?)

Binky-poo AKA our van was totaled today as it was involved in a head on collision at around 36 mph, involving three vehicles and 5 people.

This morning me, my mom and my brother where on our way to a doctors appointment to check up on my ankle when we came to an intersection about 4 or 5 minutes down the road. and a as I'm looking out the window from my place in the drivers side back seat a yellow van is suddenly right in front of us, literally out of no where he cut across the intersection in the blink of an eye, I heard my mother say “Oh Jesus!” and then this loud crash as we hit the side of the van, my brother screamed, the air bags deployed in a big flash I saw him hit it like a rag doll thrown at the wall. My headphones were flung off, my bag containing my clip board shot into the back of my brothers seat my foot hit the back of my mothers seat and for whatever reason my teeth came together really hard…

It was over in about a second
My brother screamed again but stopped himself as he realized we where no longer moving. I could see the driver of the van and he was on his cell phone. My mother asked if everyone was ok about the same time I did and we where all awake but for the first minute or so EVERYTHING hurt. I couldn’t tell the difference between left and right and I thought I had broken my right foot when in fact it was the left foot, the one that not more then 20 days ago I fractured the ankle of. Onlookers came to the car to help but my brother was already out and opening the doors as me and my mother where still in a bit of shock.

I gathered up my crutches and hobbled to where my mother and brother where sitting on the curb, I looked back and saw the front of our van… you’d think it where made of clay the way the hood twisted and how bent everything was… then it began to leak antifreeze as I followed the trail I noticed the front wheel of a motorcycle on the other side of the van. When we hit the van he didn’t brake which made the rear swing around up and over the curb and hit a motorcyclist waiting at the stop sign who had no time to get out of the way.
Within minutes the fire department is there the fire department was only about 2 or 3 minutes back from where we came. The driver of the van refused to get out and accept medical attention the cyclist didn’t want to leave his bike, apparently it was brand new.

They put my mother in a neck brace and strapped her to a back board as her neck and back hurt to move, my brother was next, his knees and chest hurt, he was bruised by the seatbelt when he hit the air bag. I watched as the ambulance showed up. I could still stand and it was only my foot that hurt at the time. I tried to call my father but I was only able to tell him we where in an accident and what hospital we where going too and then I was asked to get off the phone so the cop could ask me some questions... I answered them as they loaded my mother and brother into the back of the ambulance. Then they told me to ride in the front of the ambulance as the started to throw some sort of dust over the antifreeze spill.
I was so shaken. Before I got in the ambulance a man came up beside me and asked if I was ok. I just motioned my nad at the front of the van and muttered some sort of “I dunno” kinda noise…

As I waited in the ambulance I could see more of the bike wreck as before I couldn’t see much from under the van. Shrapnel was everywhere. The windows from the van came clean out, the looked almost like rubber, ‘cause they where a shatter-proof kinda thing.

A few moments later the driver of the ambulance, I can’t remember his name now but he was really nice. He explained that my mom and brother where alright but that putting them on back board was precautionary and a “just in case” thing. The ride to the hospital wasn’t too bad. My foot started to swell though and I was terrified it would be broken again. we got to the hospital and I walked in along side my mom but for some reason my brother was separated from us, but after the doctor finished getting vitals and checked me and my mom for serious injury he sent us to be x-rayed thank god they all came back fine. They said I bruised my foot, the called it a Contusion. My mom was bruised and strained the muscles in her neck and back. Then my dad showed up and talked to us a bit before he went to find my brother. Not too long after that they both came back.

My brother was bruised and strained muscles same as my mother. The cyclist had a breathing problem at first but he was ok, the driver of the van was ok as well, though it’s feared he may loose his job as the van he was driving was his company truck; a state highway maintenance van…

My dad then had to go back and get my grandfathers car, he had actually driven past the accident but had no idea that it was our van between all the cop cars and the paramedics… after the one cop came back to give us the information for the other vehicles, the report and told us what to do next as far as insurance goes, they discharged us from the hospital and as soon as we got outside my dad came back in my grandfathers ANCIENT ford escort… a stick shift with no AC… needless to say the ride SUCKED
We stopped at the impound to try and get our things from the car but we where only 5 minutes late and they closed… now we have to wait until TUSEDAY to get our things… if there’s any of it left. That’s how my dad first saw poor Binky-poo.. he said the engine and transmission where pushed back and shifted at an angle so it’s pretty FUBAR… I don’t think Binky-poo is coming home again… I will miss that van, it was a damn good car…

But now that so many hours have passed since the wreck everything hurts… my neck arms legs… my foot is excruciating above all else, it’s now 2: 47 AM and I will probably not sleep…

found out that when my teeth came together so hard I chipped my bottom front tooth... man that hurts...


So I’d like to finish by saying: driving is dangerous, you could be the most cautious driver on the rode but it only takes ONE idiot, ONE second, one mistake to ruin your day, your health…your life… my uncle was killed in a car accident because he wasn’t wareing his seatbelt. I know from first hand experience that the seat belt saved my life today. I don’t care if it’s uncomfortable. WARE IT! and ware it RIGHT. And for the love of god don’t talk on the phone wile driving!! That’s what nearly killed us today, over 200,000 deaths by car accident where caused by cell phone usage it’s on the same hindrance level as if you where drunk. Even hands free systems, it’s not holding the phone it’s holding the conversation, your mind isn’t focused on the more important task.

Save arguments for home or wherever it is your going or STOP. When your driving that should be the ONLY thing your doing. Not putting on make up not combing your hair or other personal grooming tasks not reading the paper. Should be Just… driving….

I could go on all night but how many of you would actually listen? When we go to get our stuff I’m taking a camera to show you all what happened to Binky-poo at 35 mph then you imagine what would happen at higher speeds, such as on the highway…


I realize now that you can really die that fast… less then a second, that’s about how fast a wreck is over… and in that second you could really be gone…

Be safe guys, I love you all so much, I would write more but I’m really sore and prolly will be for the next couple days. But I am OK as is everyone else so no need to worry. I just want to inform you all.

It’s been a really eye opening experience and a life lesson with no equal in my mind.


I'll try to give you all some good news in my next entry.

--
~peace out!
♥~Robby's war-chan~♥