So here is what happend, I was taking my girl to work in my mustang when we came to a pretty straight stretch of highway where the speed limit is 55 (i was doing that) up ahead i could see a little white truck sitting in a driveway with a guy in it, i kinda had a gut feeling something bad was coming, well it did. Just before we got to him he backed out in the road (he was drinking) and my 1st reaction was swerve to miss him and I did, right into a cedar tree. As we went off the road I kinda threw myself across my girlfriend to keep her covered so she didnt get hurt, dont remember much after that but the rescue squad said they picked me up off the ground on the passenger side. I remember having on a seatbelt so idk how the hell i got over there! lol In the ambulance they got me awake and was asking me to wiggle my toes....I wiggled and wiggled but no movement, tears came to my eyes then. I broke my jaw so I couldnt talk to tell them what was hurting but I guess it was kinda obvious by the huge gash on my forehead, no movement from the waist down, and all my teeth were gone. I went straight to the operating room when I got to the hospital since they said I was paralyzed. After 9.5 hours of surgery that day I could move my toes again but didnt have the strenght to move my leg yet. Thats was probably the happiest I have ever been even though I was in some serious pain! Over the next few days I had my jaw wired and they were able to save 3 teeth on the bottom, then 3 hours of plastic surgery on my chin and forehead. So the end result was 43 stitches in my face, about 2 foot of wire in my mouth!, and 22 staples in my side. My girlfriend came out with some seatbelt burns and she bit her tounge. She also fractured her breast bone.
So please dont drink and drive! And it dont matter if you are doing 55mph or 155mph you never know what could happen so please be safe and pay attention. Driving the Camaro at 160-170mph I never would have thought a 4cyl mustang going 55mph would have done this to me.
Sorry the story was so long but I hope to use my story to help stop people from drinking and driving.
Well here are the pictures from the accident and one before picture.
Before:
(http://i190.photobucket.com/albums/z79/jay102189/2-6-09002.jpg)
And the after:
(http://i190.photobucket.com/albums/z79/jay102189/wreck2.jpg)
(http://i190.photobucket.com/albums/z79/jay102189/wreck3.jpg)
(http://i190.photobucket.com/albums/z79/jay102189/wreck4.jpg)
(http://i190.photobucket.com/albums/z79/jay102189/wreck5.jpg)
(http://i190.photobucket.com/albums/z79/jay102189/wreck1.jpg)
(http://i190.photobucket.com/albums/z79/jay102189/3-31-09001.jpg)
(http://i190.photobucket.com/albums/z79/jay102189/4-3-09002.jpg)
(http://i190.photobucket.com/albums/z79/jay102189/4-3-09007.jpg)
(http://i190.photobucket.com/albums/z79/jay102189/4-3-09008.jpg)
Where my head hit the glass!
(http://i190.photobucket.com/albums/z79/jay102189/4-3-09009.jpg)
(http://i190.photobucket.com/albums/z79/jay102189/4-3-09012.jpg)
Pushed the radiator support through the oil pan!
(http://i190.photobucket.com/albums/z79/jay102189/4-3-09015.jpg)
Wow man...I don't really know what to say...except that someone or something was watching over you that day.
I've seen a lot less damage resulting in..well....suffice to say you are here now telling us about it.
Looks to be an airbag-steering wheel...why didn't it go off...?
Looked like it was really nice Stang too...
I'm really starting to get an attitude with people who drink and drive.
There have been a few times in the past where I did, and I just thank whatever's Holy nobody ever got hurt over my stupidity.
Now that I have a family of my own, it puts paid to that account pretty effectively, and makes a valuable lesson learned about being under the influence AND behind the wheel.
Sucks that much harder that you had to be the lesson for the guy in the truck.
Someone or something was watching over us!
Apparently the steering wheel had been changed before I bought it?? I guess they never hooked it up??
It was a really nice stang, only 67k original miles and I had all the original paperwork from when it was bought new in Greensboro NC which is funny because my t-top mustang was bought from the same dealership!
I have a few friends who dont drink at all and drive, not even one beer. Scared the out of alot of people I know. Hopefully people will here my story and think twice before driving!
Amen man. Without going into the details, I will say my faith...."runs along a different path" than most people, and things like this will make anyone believe that there's a higher being at work...whatever you want to label that as.
What year was the Stang? Either way, was a nice clean ride. Wonder why the wheel was changed with only 67K though...rest of the car looks (looked) really nice.
If you look close in the before pic you can see the paint is knocked off the bumper cover. I guess maybe that deployed the bag?? No structure damage that I could tell though.
It was a 1992 Model with a 2.3L 5 speed. Used it as my daily driver, now my daily driver is my 88 thunderbird sport! I miss my mustang but I love the new bird! I like having different cars! Everyone around here has a mustang but not one single thunderbird! There is one about 3 miles from my house behind a garage, its blue, stock wheels, and my girl spotted the dual exhaust when we pulled in. Im so proud of her! lol She said its got two pipe thingy's that means its a v8 right? hahah
Unfortunately no one was home but I will be back! :poke:
Well, sounds like it may be a Sport...you lucky devil you!
Hope ya get it lol.
(not to jinx ya, but I am hoping for you that it's a Sport, and not some 3.8 rice job with twin fart cannons lmao)
I hope so too! Hope I get it cheap! lol
They obviously dont seem to care about it. Funny thing is I never noticed it until I bought my sport! lol I look for them everywhere now.
Glad to see you're alive!
The hit may have been at enough of an angle from head-on to not trigger the air bag.
What made the dent in the roof? You said you were thrown clear, is it possible it rolled at some point?
Shiny Side Up!
Bill
The dent in the roof would've been from twisting.
Good job you weren't in that T-Top stang you mentioned, it would have folded up like a jack knife...
Wow, God sure was watching over you! You're a lucky guy and we are happy to have you here!
Yeah the roof twisted from the impact. Didnt have room to roll it. The tree was only about 30-40 yards off the road.
Yeah the T-Top car would have probably killed me.
I would have to say that the good lord was watching over you! There are way too many drunk driving accidents that end worse...you are a lucky guy.
Hope you get healed up and on the mend quickly!
Thanks. The doctor told me I was lucky to be alive. I had a 50/50 chance of walking again. Duke hospital fixed me right up!
Wow...im sorry to hear about this accident,..... being able to come out of that alive is amazing!!!!..... im glad youre ok man!!!!!
that other guys car may have crumpled alittle bit better then the tree, but I could totally see myself doing the same type of thing in the same situation. Its crazy seeing how easily it could all end for any one of us. Now I know why you don't really want to dend over and lay on the ground to work on your bird...
holy ! man i an glad you are OK. amen to the stop drinking and driving. Please tell me he got cited for the accident.
Yeah its killing me not to be able to work on the bird! But the doc keeps saying dont push it or you will have major back problems as you get older. Plus im only 19 so hopefully I have many many more years.
lakenheath24 - when the state trooper got there the guy told him that he had nothing to do with the accident and he was just a witness but he has told a dew people he did and they have agreed to go to court with me and testify against him. About 2 weeks after I got out of the hospital he tried to kill himself, they tell me that he locked his self in his truck and just took off wide open until he wrecked, when he did the truck caught on fire but he just stayed in. They got him out but he is burnt pretty bad. Must be feeling guilty for something....
I was thinking about not hurting anyone else and in any situation like that your first reaction is to try and avoid it but sometimes it just dont work out like planned.
Wow. I'm glad your injuries weren't any worse... if they even get worse than that. I'm pretty sure every piece of sheet metal on that Mustang was bent. Maybe the PS quarter didn't get any damage.
Actually passenger side quarter took out a mailbox! lol
The tail lights I used in another car and the wiper cowl. The drivers side quarter isnt too bad i dont think. But as far as the body and frame in general it could never be fixed! But hey if your gonna trash it you mine as well tear it up good! lol j/k
Yeah the worst of my injuries was my back, collapsed left lung, and some swelling around my heart that they are worried about. That is pushing down on my lung making it hard for me to breath.
What a shame this happened! Glad you made it away with your life! Things can be replaced but life cannot!
i cant believe that guy denied his involvement. thats a downright bitch ass move if you ask me. he's definatly feeling guilt trying to kill himself. If i caused an accident where the people or a person was carted off on a back board as i assume you were, i'd get really depressed. i would have hit the guy rather than a tree, but who knows. i know a lot of people that has the same story as you, taking it off the road and hitting something fixed like a house or tree. when i got hit when i sitting waiting on traffic, the 17 yr old yanked the wheel to the right before he locked them up and hit/bounced off me and ended up in a ditch. the marks on the road (130ft) are still there to this day (5-6 months later) and he wouldnt have hit the ditch unless he bounced off me, A WORK TRUCK ORANGE 86 F150 with 31in tires.
take it easy on that back. if you can you should get it checked out for progress about ever 2 months IMO.
...
The car took a big hit for you. You feeling okay now? other than the totaled car?
Yeah im feeling better now. Im finally able to move around on my own after being in that wheelchair for 3 months.
AC - I do get it checked 2 times a month. Since they put so much titanium and stuff in my back they have been watching it pretty close. I have some x-ray pics around here somewhere...
My marks werent that long...maybe 20-25ft then i went off raod for about another 30ft into the tree.
Wow, there had to be someone looking over ya'll. You can tell that was a bad hit. I hope you can do something to prosecute the drunk driver that caused it. So when did this happen?
Glad you're okay bud. Stay safe and healthy.
Thanks guys.
This happend on March 20th but I havent been able to get up to post anything on the computer until just recently.
Your Tbird shouldn't have abs unless it was originally a TC, or unless someone swapped all that stuff in.
Man, every time I look at those pics, something shrivels up and wants to hide...I don't see how you can look at 'em to be honest.
Wow you are lucky to be alive. That's a hell of a hit...