Trans-Canada
On Life and Death
25/10/08 21:05 Filed in: Personal
Imagine you're in your car and, up until two seconds
ago, you were travelling about 110 km/h (70 mph) down
the highway before a deer bulldozed into your front
right quarter panel and sent you for a loop. The car
first slews onto the left shoulder of the highway,
then goes into a spin that carries it back across the
lanes of traffic and onto the shoulder on the right.
There, the car stops its spin but instead goes into a
tumble and ends up, on its side, in a ditch, with you
still in it.
What are you thinking during that, what, two or
three second period between the deer striking and the
car finally coming to rest? What goes through your
mind?
Last night, as I was returning from an engagement out of town at about seven o'clock, I got the chance to find out.
I didn't see the deer until the split second before it hit and then it seemed like a flash bulb had suddenly gone off to reveal, in shocking detail, the terrified animal as it met the plastic and steel side of my Saturn. Then the car took on a life of its own and the whole thing became something of a blur to me. I remember shouting several curses as the car bucked and slew. I remember the world whizzing around me as the car went into the spin. I remember thinking very clearly as the car spun back across the highway: "I have absolutely no control over what's going to happen in the next few seconds. And it may result in my death." And then, as the car tumbled into the ditch I remember thinking: "I just hope it's over soon."
Weird thoughts to have, I think. My hands and feet were very likely doing everything they've been trained to do to control a motor vehicle but those measures only work if the tires are actually gripping the road and subject to the forces of steering and braking. For all the good they did me, I might as well have been trying to flap my arms and fly away from the crash site.
What amazes me is that I seem to have remained
fairly calm. I wasn't screaming and I didn't wet
myself or anything. I just thought — this might be it
and I have no input whatsoever into what happens.
And the incident just brought me more evidence of just how fantastic the people of New Brunswick and, in fact, all of Atlantic Canada are. A host of people stopped to offer assistance. Two young men from PEI actually helped me, at some danger to themselves, to get out of the car once it finally came to a stop (on its side in a ditch!). One of these guys even went back and dragged the poor deer off the highway so that it would pose no further threat to passing motorists. Their female friend handled the telephone calling and got the emergency services out to me. As time went by, more and more people stopped to help, including a friendly nurse, a man with first-aid experience and an off-duty police officer. I was well taken care of.
The ambulance people (one was named Amanda, I think) were great and I received prompt and effective treatment at the local hospital.
I believe I thanked them all as they floated in and out of my world (for much of the time, remember, I was strapped to a board and immobilised to ensure I caused myself no further damage) but I want to take this chance to thank them again. I am very grateful to all of them for helping me during this most difficult of times.
Several of them said I was lucky to survive the crash, let alone get away with only fairly minor injuries (take a look at the pictures of the car taken the following day — I think they're right!). And I think I owe them all a great deal of gratitude for aiding me in my miraculous escape.
Last night, as I was returning from an engagement out of town at about seven o'clock, I got the chance to find out.
I didn't see the deer until the split second before it hit and then it seemed like a flash bulb had suddenly gone off to reveal, in shocking detail, the terrified animal as it met the plastic and steel side of my Saturn. Then the car took on a life of its own and the whole thing became something of a blur to me. I remember shouting several curses as the car bucked and slew. I remember the world whizzing around me as the car went into the spin. I remember thinking very clearly as the car spun back across the highway: "I have absolutely no control over what's going to happen in the next few seconds. And it may result in my death." And then, as the car tumbled into the ditch I remember thinking: "I just hope it's over soon."
Weird thoughts to have, I think. My hands and feet were very likely doing everything they've been trained to do to control a motor vehicle but those measures only work if the tires are actually gripping the road and subject to the forces of steering and braking. For all the good they did me, I might as well have been trying to flap my arms and fly away from the crash site.
And the incident just brought me more evidence of just how fantastic the people of New Brunswick and, in fact, all of Atlantic Canada are. A host of people stopped to offer assistance. Two young men from PEI actually helped me, at some danger to themselves, to get out of the car once it finally came to a stop (on its side in a ditch!). One of these guys even went back and dragged the poor deer off the highway so that it would pose no further threat to passing motorists. Their female friend handled the telephone calling and got the emergency services out to me. As time went by, more and more people stopped to help, including a friendly nurse, a man with first-aid experience and an off-duty police officer. I was well taken care of.
The ambulance people (one was named Amanda, I think) were great and I received prompt and effective treatment at the local hospital.
I believe I thanked them all as they floated in and out of my world (for much of the time, remember, I was strapped to a board and immobilised to ensure I caused myself no further damage) but I want to take this chance to thank them again. I am very grateful to all of them for helping me during this most difficult of times.
Several of them said I was lucky to survive the crash, let alone get away with only fairly minor injuries (take a look at the pictures of the car taken the following day — I think they're right!). And I think I owe them all a great deal of gratitude for aiding me in my miraculous escape.