Post by josejmartinez on Jul 4, 2013 8:42:57 GMT -8
Yesterday, I was reminiscing that on the 3rd of July in 1997. That day, I was in an awful 5 car accident in Chicago.
Had just come in the night before from South America, went to the office and did not think the road back would be so full of traffic, but it was to be a long weekend. It was bumper to bumper of people going North. I get into the slow lane when all of a sudden I feel a thud and look through the rear view mirror... I could see the top of the trunk and thought that it just fell open... I tried to get out to shut it since we were stopped and my arms would not obey... I then started thinking that maybe I had been in an accident...
When I was hit, my seat back collapsed, this put me in the lying down position but as I hit the car in front, the inertia put me upright, then I recalled the seat belt tightening and my shoulders just going forward. They were dislocated at the shoulders and that is why I could not move them.
I was able to put my left shoulder in its cuff and was able to also get out of the car. It was very hot and with a closed car it was unbearable and the window controls were central.
The man that hit me was quite old and I was worried that he would collapse... he went on and on..."are you alright, are you alright". He had a big van and his airbag had exploded so I was sure he had hit me at least at 25 mph. My car... a 1995 Saturn had the trunk part like a squashed beer can and the front looked like an accordion.
It took the cops about 30 minutes to get to the site and the ambulance another 30 minutes. My arms were in real bad shape and I had to learn to use them again.
From that moment on, I respected those little Saturn cars, they really could protect the occupants. Mine was a 1995... th photo of the car was obtained from the Internet. It took 3 months of therapy until I could move my arms properly. Close call if you want to call it that.
Had just come in the night before from South America, went to the office and did not think the road back would be so full of traffic, but it was to be a long weekend. It was bumper to bumper of people going North. I get into the slow lane when all of a sudden I feel a thud and look through the rear view mirror... I could see the top of the trunk and thought that it just fell open... I tried to get out to shut it since we were stopped and my arms would not obey... I then started thinking that maybe I had been in an accident...
When I was hit, my seat back collapsed, this put me in the lying down position but as I hit the car in front, the inertia put me upright, then I recalled the seat belt tightening and my shoulders just going forward. They were dislocated at the shoulders and that is why I could not move them.
I was able to put my left shoulder in its cuff and was able to also get out of the car. It was very hot and with a closed car it was unbearable and the window controls were central.
The man that hit me was quite old and I was worried that he would collapse... he went on and on..."are you alright, are you alright". He had a big van and his airbag had exploded so I was sure he had hit me at least at 25 mph. My car... a 1995 Saturn had the trunk part like a squashed beer can and the front looked like an accordion.
It took the cops about 30 minutes to get to the site and the ambulance another 30 minutes. My arms were in real bad shape and I had to learn to use them again.
From that moment on, I respected those little Saturn cars, they really could protect the occupants. Mine was a 1995... th photo of the car was obtained from the Internet. It took 3 months of therapy until I could move my arms properly. Close call if you want to call it that.
