The Accident -- Part I

Today is the six month anniversary of an event I will never forget. An event that has become known simply as The Accident. I've lost count as to how many times I've told this story, and who I have and have not told it to, so I thought I'd just let everyone read about it here. I apologize if you've heard this story already. ;)

Synopsis
November 14, 2006
I-80 mile marker 98, just east of Stuart, Iowa

Shortly after sunset, a co-worker and I were returning to Des Moines from a business meeting in Council Bluffs. We were traveling in the left lane of I-80 near Stuart when a large deer ran up out of the median and struck the front left of the Jeep Liberty my friend was driving. There was essentially no time to react. We hit the deer at 70+ mph. The impact sent us through the right lane and into the right-side ditch where we rolled the Jeep at least once, and eventually came to rest on the driver's side. We both managed to climb out of the Jeep through the broken sunroof. After a brief check that we were both "OK", I called 911. Approximately 20 minutes later, two ambulances arrived at the scene and transported us both back to Des Moines.

Vague Details
Essentially, my recollection of the accident is somewhat vague. I remember the impact, but do not remember seeing the deer. I vaguely remember the vehicle swerving, but do not remember it rolling in the ditch. After the impact and initial veering of the Jeep to the right, the next thing I remember is hanging up in the air, belted into the passengers seat. I can recall the blood starting to partially rush to my head as I waited for Scott to climb out of the sunroof. If I had tried to go first, I would have immediately fell on top of him after unlocking my seatbelt.

After we made it out of the Jeep, I remember us both exchanging more than a few "holy shit, what the hell just happened!?!?" comments. Scott was bleeding profusely from a large gash in his head. The image of his blood-soaked face and hands is permanently etched in my memory. I think the sheer surprise of the accident in combination with the gory scene of Scott's bloody face, hands, and clothes sent me into shock, as I do not remember the nearly 20 minutes that it took for the ambulances to arrive. Apparently, I was speaking coherently with Scott during that time, but I do not remember any of it. None. Zilch. Zero. I remember feeling pretty good after getting out of the vehicle -- only some minor cuts here and there. Funny that I should be the one who goes into shock, when Scott was the one with the huge gash on his head that was bleeding everywhere.

The next thing I remember after calling 911 is sitting in the ambulance being evaluated by the EMT. The specifics of the evaluation and the ride back to Des Moines are sketchy at best. The next several hours of poking and prodding in the emergency room, and the night spent in the hospital wearing a neck-brace are also very sketchy. I'm sure Cindy could recount everything that happened that night in the hospital, as she was there shortly after I arrived and was there for the duration.

The Aftermath
Despite the 12 staples required to close the gash in Scott's head, and the burns on his wrist from the airbag, he managed to be discharged from the hospital the night of the accident. As far as I know, he's back to normal (he transferred to our Seattle office in January to be closer to his family).

As for me, all I suffered was a few cuts and some bruised ribs which are now long since healed. Initially, they weren't sure if I had fractured my left wrist or if I had some sort of neck injury, but luckily that turned out not to be the case. Unfortunately, I still had to frequent the doctor's office for several weeks after the accident.

Looking back at the photos of the wrecked Jeep (see below), it almost feels like it didn't happen to me...like it happened to someone else. I think that is primarily due to the fact that I don't remember so much of the actual accident. Remembering the night in the hospital , the numerous aches and pains afterwards, and the frequent doctor visits that followed quickly remind me that it did, in fact, happen to me.

I think we are extremely lucky to be alive.