Edge of Somewhere: Trauma T1571

Trauma T1571

For a short time yesterday I did not have a name; I was Trauma T1571 at the Cumberland Memorial Hospital in Cumberland, Maryland. Before that, I was flown by helicopter off of Highway 68 Westbound. Before that, I was strapped to a backboard and given an IV. Before that, I was cut out of a car with giant pneumatic pincers. Before that, I had a man holding me immobile and shielding my face and legs from the tools the firemen were using to extract me. Before that, a bystander reached his hand through the smashed window just to hold mine and speak with me. Before that I was in the worst car accident I can imagine. By all apparent rights, I should not be typing this right now.

This past week I was at the BuildaBridge Institute in Philadelphia (which was superb, by the way—amazing people and conversations). Yesterday afternoon I drove back from Philly to Morgantown, West Virginia where my parents live…or at least that is what I was attempting to do. Somewhere east of Cumberland, MD, I was going down a grade (there is a long hill there that trucks tend to barrel through). My cruse control was on; I was just going along in the right hand lane (which, for my friends in the UK, remember to switch this…I was in the “slow” lane). I caught a glimpse of something very large in my driver’s mirror and then was suddenly spinning around and all hell broke loose.

I was hit in the rear driver’s side corner by an eighteen wheel truck that came into my lane as he passed me (apparently rather quickly). This spun me around several times and I then became lodged in underneath the trailer of the truck and dragged along the freeway for some distance. Of course, there is not a lot of room underneath a cargo trailer; fortunately, I was driving one of the smallest cars in existence. I was in a Mazda MX-5 (a Miata); the top of the car was shorn right off as I went under. The firemen who cut me out (they had to extract me through the side as there was no way for me to come out upward) said that, had I been in any other kind of vehicle, I would be dead. Actually, everyone that spoke with me could not figure out how I survived. One of the paramedics said he had never seen anyone come out of an accident like that alive (when they arrived on the scene, they immediately called for a helicopter before seeing me); I have some lacerations on my face and arms from all the glass and a sore shoulder and arm. I was not even kept in the hospital overnight. The medic on the flight took some pictures of the scene with his mobile and shared them around the emergency room; I just kept hearing “Damn…dayyymn!” and then people would just come over and look at me (and then say something like “…damn?”). I felt I was playing out the hospital scene in Unbreakable.

As they pulled me out of the wreckage, one of the firemen looked at me and said, “Man, there must be some kind of plan for you.” I have always valued my life and appreciate the blessings of it—but this is a new life. I remember thinking one thing during the accident, “Let me Live!” and I’ve lived—and that means something very special now. I hope to discover more fully what life is—because I’ve been given a chance to continue anew with living.

Update: pictures are at this link …my God.

Also, a news clip here

And even a thread on a Miata forum

Update 10 June: my father and uncle went to look at the scene yesterday; from the skid marks, it looks like we may have travelled as much as several hundred feet together before coming to a stop. Thank goodness the truck driver had the presence of mind to keep us both on the road with my car lodged in underneath the carriage.

Update 25 June: I’ve had several hundreds of hits on this post since I put up more pictures of the accident scene yesterday; someone asked to explain further the physics of what happened after I was hit. Apparently, from the description the investigating trooper gave, the truck drifted over into my lane and hit me from behind, this launched me out in front of the semi into the passing lane’s median barrier, my car then ricocheted off the barrier, spun round and went in rear first under the trailer in the passing lane (or wherever it was at this point). Then we all travelled together several hundred feet before coming to a stop. There were more saving graces there; had we gone much further, there is a chance my car would have flipped under the rear tyres and the trailer would have run over me; I could have gone straight through under the trailer, in which case I probably would have flipped over and again down the freeway; the car could have severed the brake hoses under the carriage, this apparently might have caused the brakes to lock down on the wheels—doing who knows what. Again, it happened exactly how it had to happen.

Journal • 9 June 2009

Comments

WOW!!!
God’s protection.

— Mike V 9. June 2009, 10:44 #
Hey Jason, thank God you’re okay! There’s always a career in stunt work!

— Leo 9. June 2009, 11:17 #
Once again, I’m really glad you’re alright. Looking forward to hearing about the new life unfolding :-)

— Myshele 9. June 2009, 12:50 #
DUDE!!!!

Glad you are alive man.

And you thought getting rescued by the fire departmemt at that Miami hotel when we were stranded in the room before flying out to Cuba was dramatic.

You have nine lives man.

Get well and stay in touch. I’m off to Burma soon. Wish you were coming along.

F

— Francisco Litardo 9. June 2009, 12:52 #
jason, i am immensely glad you were able to write this blog post to tell us all that you made it out alive. i wonder how your life will change… i am sure you will make it a change for the better. <3

— Suzy Lanza 9. June 2009, 12:55 #
The Miata never struck me as a particularly safe construction…
I hope somebody’s insurance will sponsor you a nice new one!

Greetings from a fellow MX-5 driver.

— david 9. June 2009, 13:07 #
God bless your soul, Jason, I’m wordless. And now you are writing this blog… I’ve got shivers in my back! (And yesterday at this time I was actually being very nervous and crying because of petty little things in comparison to what was going on with you at the same time…)

— Anna 9. June 2009, 13:39 #
Miraculous! Am thanking God right now!

— Paul G. 9. June 2009, 13:53 #
words are very unnecessary…

— dominik 9. June 2009, 16:33 #
Just tears and gratitude.

— Rebecca 9. June 2009, 16:42 #
blooooomin heck Jason.
you’re going to have to write a book my friend.
incroyable (a new french word for you).
glad you are alive and you are on the edge of this somewhere and not some other where.
carpe diem.

— DT 9. June 2009, 18:31 #
I saw the photos… You’re alive. And I’m the happiest woman in the world right now. I love you.

— Andrea 10. June 2009, 02:18 #
Jason,
As Ben told me your news and then as I told Jack’s nanny about you, I got this very definite feeling that you had lived something ‘special.’ May that bring you much peace. love n hugs,
Robyn

— robyn 10. June 2009, 05:53 #
Blimey. I thought at the start this was going to be a “get well soon” but it turns out it’s more of a Congratulations! Do get well soon, though ;-)

— Cat H 10. June 2009, 06:15 #
WOW! It’s amazing you survived that. Thank God – for real!!

That’s a pretty terse, passionless description in the newspaper, though. Who is that writer? :-)

Blessings!

— Ted Groat 10. June 2009, 07:14 #
I’m thanking God, too!! So glad/amazed you’re all right!!

— Sara Harvey 10. June 2009, 11:32 #
Amazing!

— Austin 10. June 2009, 15:52 #
Jason,

Your comment Monday afternoon that you don’t say goodbye to people because you always expect to see them again seemed significant to me in the moment, espcially since you had an unual appearance to me as I mentioned yesterday on the phone. Luminous wasn’t exactly the right word since I didn’t experience any kind of light or aura. You were simply more VIVID.

I thank God for that.

— Lynne 11. June 2009, 11:05 #
Jason—the fireman was right—you must really have work to do here—and it is going to be important. Amazing that you have been given this knowledge so young— glad you are ok—really, really glad. Wow.

— Barbara Price Davis 12. June 2009, 10:48 #
Wow. I can’t imagine – I don’t even want to. Glad you’re still with us.

But reading the blog and the news report points out that apparently I am way behind on your life.

When did you get back to the US? And I didn’t realize you were a year younger than me. Oh, the trivial things that come to mind just after a friend has almost been killed!

— Brian Johnson 13. June 2009, 13:11 #
I was just looking at the underside of a big rig on my way home last night and thinking “I could drive right under him in my miata”

score one for the safety of the miata!

— y8s 25. June 2009, 10:53 #
Spectacular!! The truck that hit me after running a red light was smaller than your truck, and my injuries were worse, but I think that between the two of us, we prove that an Emerald Green Mica Miata is the safest car to be in for survival!

Great to learn that you’re doing well. So sorry about your zoom-zoom.

This is what mine looked like after they cut me out of it…

http://cms.firehouse.com/content/article/article.jsp?sectionId=45&id=34454

I still get “You LIVED through that?” from people. Never take for granted the mighty Miata!

— Carol 27. June 2009, 19:18 #
Carol,

Did the truck just fall out of the sky (do you have a link to the story of this accident somewhere)?

Perhaps we should start a club of The Survivors of Crushed Green Miata Accidents of the Americas (we could expand internationally after becoming established here—obtaining 501c3 status, an endowment, etc.)

— Jason 27. June 2009, 21:28 #
Jason, there is a plan for you, it’s called the Plan of Salvation. I too am a walking miracle although my injuries were a bit more severe. I rolled a Talon AWD 6 1/2 times on 3-11-99 and could have easily died from my injuries. I pray every single day that God will help me to find out why he spared my life. My parents’ faith is what saved me along with God’s willingness to hear their pleas, now it is up to me to increase my own faith and live the best life I can.

I am currently on my 3rd Miata and am constantly watching out to avoid accidents. Rarely do I drive it when there is traffic or rainy weather due to even worse visibility, I have a lifted Jeep that gets driven on those days!!

— Eric 2. July 2009, 15:17 #
Jason, I always knew you were a special person. There is indeed a message in all of this. I thank God that you are OK, and I know that you will, as you always do, use the experience positively in your future interactions. I actually feel special just knowing you. Do be in touch as you feel better.
George Stern

— George 2. July 2009, 22:21 #
Wow Jason, glad to have you with us still – even if you can’t be physically with us in Scotland. Had a similar incident myself. Go and have some fun and keep doing good.
All the very best.

— Stuart 14. July 2009, 11:11 #

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