One second desicion changed everything
I have been a professional truck driver for 15 years. Over a million miles accident free. Until June 15th of this year, that day everything changed for me. Its only been 31 days and most of my physical injuries will heal. The emotional one’s those will be the lingering for awhile. It all begins like nearly everbodies day begins a normal day. It had been raining heavily the night before and that morning. Didn’t really bother me cause I have driven through some of the nastiest weather you can imagine. I had just picked up my loaded and started my return trip to do a trailer swap. I was excited cause my time off was coming up in a few days and I was going to get to spend some awesome quality time with my wife and daughters. That actually wasn’t going to be case in the end. Even though my excitement was high I would never allow that to distract me from the most important thing “my surrounding.” Some of the memories have been blocked. Honestly I wish all of them were. It started raining hard and I became proactive and took my truck off cruise control and dropped my speed down below the speed limit just as a precaution. When a car go speeding by me I normally don’t give it a second thought unless they cut me off. I just wave at them and say have a nice day. I had just completed a mirror check and gauge check to make sure that my surroundings where clear and all the truck readings were good. When my eyes refocused on the road is when it happened. The last car that had passed me at unsafe speed due to the weather conditions lost control and started hydroplaning in the lane I was in. In a matter of 1 second I had to weigh my options, figure out the outcomes, make a desicion and execute. The biggest factor in my desicion was are there children in that car. Left or straight, I knew the outcome if I stated straight. Whoever was in the car, they weren’t going to see the sunset. My only option was left I couldnt live the rest of my life knowing I killed someone. I decreased speed as much as possible to give me sone extra distance and time checked my mirrors and went left as fast as I could. The hood of my truck had cleared the car. I thought all was good everyone was going to be okay. I’m not sure and will never know if the drive was in a panic and tried to regain control by turning the wheel and stepping on the accerlater. But the next thing I know his car slammed into my right steer tire and it blew. I tried my hardest to with all my strength to keep control but once I a truck blows a steer tire 75% of the time its a battle that was lost before it began. In my case it was 100% loss of control cause my truck was already angled left. When I realized I was going for a ride I held onto the wheel the best I could till I couldn’t anymore. I let go of the wheel closed my eyes and I remember saying “here we go.” I opened my eyes one time when I was barreling out of control. Thats when my truck smashed not splashed into a river. That’s where it goes blank for a bit. I think not totally sure I was unconscious for a bit. Cause when I came too I was underwater. I think at some point I unbuckled myself abd remeber floating. Thats when I knew if didn’t do sonething right that moment I wasn’t going to make it out. I started pulling, pushing, and grabbing at whatever I could. I wasn’t able to see cause the water was so dirty. At the time I also didn’t realize I was upside down. Just when I could feel myself struggling for air and I began to inhale water. I heard a voice unclear if it was my own subconscious or a spiritual being. It was two words " NOT YET!" With every bit of strength I could muster pushed and pulled one last time and I popped into an air pocket which was conveniently by the passenger door. Opened the door and hooked my arms onto it thats when I realized something didn’t feel right. I could see people on the bank screaming at me in amazement that I was still alive. I remember screaming out two things. I was screaming for help and I was asking how the occupants of the other vehicle were. A police officer realized that I kept going in out consciousness and he jumped into the water and held onto me till water rescue could extract me safely. When got intouch with him later he told me he had never seen anything like. All the destruction and the fact that I was still alive. He told me the entire time that we were in the water my only concern was the othe people. Found out that they got right out of the car with bumps and brusies. I was a different story though. I was rushed by ambulance to a trauma hospital nearly an hour away due to the weather conditions. After having battery of test and scans performed. I learned that I had a burst fracture of my L1, broken nose in 2 places, my left kidney was brusied, tip of nose was held on by a piece of skin, and alot of cuts bruises. I underwent surgery and my spine was fused from my T11 to L3. I was in ICU for 4 days then moved to the neurosurgery floor after that. I was told I would be in the hospital from 3 months to 6 months. I personally didn’t like that timeframe so I knew there was work to be done. I was back home 2 days later. Even though it happened a month ago my recovery is going good. My pain is there but its not bad. I can handle it. What I can’t handle is my physical limitations. I used to be really active. Which causes tremendous mixed emotions inside. Recently I have questioned myself about surviving. Sometimes I do wonder if it would’ve been better if I didn’t. I had to put a brave face on for everybody in the beginning but it has become so hard to do now. I know I need to talk to someone about my accident. But I’m so closed off right now that I don’t trust anyone anymore.
