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My Son Was In An Accident Last Night!
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My Son Was In An Accident Last Night! |
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Richy Member Elite
since 2003-05-03
Posts 3050
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My Son Was In An Accident! Last night, my oldest (19 yrs) son, asked me if he could go out for a few hours. He had come home from his night class in college and I told him he could go out till 1:00 am since he didn’t have any morning classes the following morning. Well, at around 12:15AM he called me from his cell phone, and was very frantic. He had told me that he had just been in a severe accident, and that one of the three girls that were with him in the car had been ejected from the car and was in really bad shape. At that moment, my world stopped. And I was suddenly shifted into a mode of overdrive, denial, and extremely intense fright. What scared me the most, was the sound of my son’s voice. He is a big six foot tall, 245 lb extremely strong young man. Having played all four years of football, all as an offensive lineman. And here he was, frantically trying to tell me what had just happened, in between half crying and half total shock. I hadn’t heard him that scared and terrified since he was a young child. Scared of a Boogey Man or some such thing. I suddenly felt so helpless and overwhelmed, that it made my blood run cold. But at that exact same time, I was also collected, poised and absolutely fearless. My son was less then a few miles from home. A drive of about five minutes, that took me considerably less this night. He was in extreme danger. And I needed to get to him as fast as I could. As I was quickly asking him if he was OK. And if anyone was hurt. And where exactly he was. I was storming into my bedroom, turning on the light, waking my wife up, scrambling for my keys, and shoes, blurting out to her as quick as I could allow, what was happening, and on my way out the door, telling her to call me, on my cell phone, and jumping into my car. I was going over what was going on, what I might possibly find, and generally preparing for the worst. As I flew past a car a few blocks from home, who wasn’t quite going fast enough for where I needed to be. I started to think about my father passing away in a car accident when I was five years old. I thought about the head on collision I got into when I was 18, resulting in my best friend being ejected straight through the windshield. And I thought about the other accident my son had gotten into last summer, the day before me and him we’re scheduled to leave for a two week vacation up to Oregon to see my family who we hadn’t seen in years. In that accident, my son had just graduated High School and was driving home from his girlfriend’s house when he had a wreck. He was by himself, trying to go too fast around a corner, and well, you can figure out the rest. A few months earlier, I had told him that for his graduation, we were going to go on a trip up to Oregon. Just me and him. Just one very proud father, and his oldest son, on a pilgrimage of sorts. Back to where all of the family he knew growing up, had relocated. Just the two of us. I wanted one last time with him, alone, before he got older and moved out. Where we could strengthen the already strong bond that we already had, hoping it would be enough to keep our unity strong well into his adulthood. It was going to be a trip of discovery. A trip where he was going to learn quite a bit about his old pop. It was going to be, a trip of a lifetime. My father’s name was Richard. I was his fourth son, and born on Father’s Day, so he decided to name me after him. And I continued that pattern and named my first born son Richard, as well. Since last summer, I started to wonder what was it with “us” three Richards? Why had all three of us, already been involved in car accidents? My father’s had killed him. Mine landed me in the hospital in traction for three weeks with a broken femur. By the way my friend who went through the windshield, and was having convulsions in that accident (of mine). Came and saw me in the hospital, the next day! And my son’s, accident last summer, well he wasn’t hurt at all. But, here I was, going to the scene of another accident of his. As I got closer, I noticed a fire truck up ahead, going the same direction that I was with his lights running, and his sirens screaming. I had my son on the cell phone, and he was telling me that the police and fire trucks were already pulling up, giving me at least that much relief. That someone was already there helping them. We live in a small town. About 25,000 people. It started out as a farming community. The veritable, wide spot in the road. A major thoroughfare, Highway 152, cuts right through our city. Actually becoming our main drag, if you will, for the few miles it slows down enough to get through yet one more pit stop, oh excuse me, I meant hamlet! It’s a nice place. Well anyway, as I pulled up to the scene of the accident. There were already two California Highway Patrol cars there, and several fire engines. Our nice little town’s fire department is made up largely of volunteer Fireman, who come to your rescue, at a moment’s notice. God Bless Them! There we’re four or so cars already pulled over to the side of the road, one guy pulling his familiar yellow fireproof suit on that he was getting out from his trunk as I pulled up. The road this was on, is a straight country road, that goes on for I don’t know how many miles. And so, I was able to see all the lights up ahead for quite a distance as I was approaching the accident. I seemed to be going in slow motion as I raced to the scene. And once I finally pulled over off the side of the road, behind all of the volunteer Firemen’s cars, I darted across the street and over to where I could now see the scope of what had happened. The Highway Patrolman closest to me. Looked at me, as I got out of my car and hurried over toward where he was. I’m sure that anyone coming near this scene, was going to have only two excuses to be there. One, was you had to either be part of the rescue party. Police, Fire, Ambulance. Or, my excuse. The parent of one of the children involved. I scarcely mentioned to him that I was the father of the driver of the car, as I scurried past him. And rushed up, to see my son standing up, talking to a Police Officer, right next to our car, which was totally demolished, over off to the side of the road in an orchard, upside down. I could not believe what I was seeing. I told the officer talking to him, that I was his father, and I asked my son if he was OK. He was dirty and disheveled, but Thank God! came through with nothing more then a cut and bruise on his left shoulder, and some soreness in his back. I took a long deep breath, now knowing that my son was OK, and that he knew his Dad was now there. I then saw one of Richy’s (my son) friends, Allysa. She was pretty shooken up, but she looked like she was in pretty good shape. As I turned around, noticing the first of two ambulances show up. I saw another one of my son’s friends Christiana, standing over to the side, with her face, covered in blood. With what looked like a huge gash coming straight down from the top of her forehead. The poor thing was moaning, and she seemed to be in a lot of pain. I then looked down, and saw the last passenger. One of Richy’s dearest friends, Laura Lee. She was lying on top of a Fireman’s rigid board, with a neck brace on. And I gasped. On the way to the accident I had called Richy on the cell phone, and told him that I was rolling up the road and would be there in a few more moments. At that time he briefly told me that Laura Lee was in real bad shape, and that it appeared that she was getting worse as time went by. She was being strapped to the board by several Firemen, and she looked unconscious. She didn‘t have her shoes on. And the contrast of her dark painted toenails against her very pale skin, had a very eerie feel to it. It was now somewhere around 12:30 at night, it was dark and cold out, there we’re lights flashing everywhere, and there was an organized but anxious feeling of pandemonium. I was so scared at that moment, of the possibility of such a young, vibrant and wonderful friend of my son’s, was possibly not going to make it. That someone we knew, was in critical condition. That my son was involved in this. And that her parents didn’t even know about this. They didn’t have a clue. They were back home, safe and sound, maybe asleep, and their daughter was out here on the side of the road, fighting for her life. How in the world could this be happening? Why? This is my safe little town now. This is one of the reasons we liked it so much here. Because it was safe. Because there were no gangs, or violence. It’s not supposed to happen like this. I’ve always felt, that my number one job as a parent was to protect them. To make sure that no harm ever came to them. To fight to the death if need be. Or to risk my own life, without hesitation, for theirs. And here was this poor girl, who just hours before had her whole life ahead of her, scratching with whatever she had left, to survive. It was so unfortunate that her parents weren’t there. But we were. We cared very much for Laura Lee. And everything we could all possibly ever hoped and wished for at that moment, was all being prayed for, for her. As the other two girls gave their statements, and were eventually taken to our town hospital. And Laura Lee flown to the nearest trauma center in a city 40 miles away. The real story started to come out, of what exactly happened. According to Richy, Alyssa, and Christiana, what had happened was this: They had been hanging out for a while at one of the girl’s house. When they decided to go for a ride out to this haunted house not too far out of town. You know, typical young kid type of stuff. They swung by and picked up Laura Lee, and when they did they noticed that she had been drinking quite a bit, because she was acting very irrational. Well as they were on there way out to this local hangout, They had noticed that Laura Lee who was sitting up front in the passenger seat had taken her seat belt off. And then suddenly, at some point, for reasons the three of them don’t know, she grabbed the steering wheel and pulled it toward the right, making the car veer off the right side of the road. My son yanked it back to get back onto the street, and they were in the loose gravel off the road and got into a uncontrollable spin right across the road toward the left side. The car now went over that side of the road still spinning in a circle or two, and then hit some large irrigation pipes and flipped over. At least twice! They ended up, upside down, with the car on the roof. Richy, Alyssa, and Christiana all still buckled in the seatbelts hanging upside down, in a total daze of destruction. And Laura Lee, who wasn’t buckled in, thrown from the car. When I saw the car, the drivers side was completely crushed down. It looked like a wrecked convertible. My son is so lucky he wasn’t severely hurt, or worse, God forbid! But the driver’s side had about three feet open, where the windows used to be. After my son regained his faculties, he was able to free himself, and get out. He then got the other two girls out, after yanking at the seats and just horsing them out. He was especially concerned because he smelled gas and oil. They soon thereafter found Laura Lee, lying face down, in the dirt field. They tended to her, and she was able to sit up, and was saying,” that she just wanted to go home.” They searched around for one of their cell phones, and Richy finally found his and called 9-1-1. And then he called me, right after. After they took the girls to the hospital. They took their time to interrogate my son, asking him if had been drinking or doing any kind of drugs. He assured them that he didn’t. But of course they gave him a field sobriety test, and had him blow into a breath analyzer to detect any alcohol in his breath. It’s totally understandable that they did this. But here was my poor kid, who just went through this horrifying ordeal. Outside after all this time. With no shoes on, because he couldn’t find but one. With only a tee shirt and some light pants, having to look up with his hands and one foot held out in front of him. Having their flashlights constantly being shone at his eyes. Well any way, he finally checked out completely. Wasn’t given a citation, and released to go. He hopped on the last ambulance to go be with his friends, while I stayed around for another hour or two with these cops, and the tow truck driver getting my car all squared away. After the tow truck driver flipped the car over. I was able to look inside the car because the inside light was stuck on because one of the doors was stuck open. In the car I could see blood all over the back seats where the two other girls were sitting. I grabbed as many of my son’s belongings as I could find. Including two different sets of bloody shoes, and my son’s other shoe. The left one. Stuck up and jammed between the floor board and the left side of the brake pedal. Somehow while they were flipping in the car, his shoe got stuck up and in there. I finally got over to the hospital around 2:30 or 3:00 in the morning. I met the parents of the other two girls. And we all shared in our grief, and in our amazing good luck. These kids had just been through one hell of an ordeal. But for a few stitches here and few there. They we’re all going to be just fine. The car is so totaled. After we finally got home last night around 4:00 am. We each took a shower, recanted the whole nights events to my wife, who was so worried sick, but had to stay home with out other two kids. I had spoken to her several times while I was out there. And then I made my son a big giant sandwich, and gave him a big giant hug. I told him how proud of him I was. That what he did tonight was so very responsible, and so very brave. And I told him, that he was not only a hero to those three girls that night. But that, he was also a hero to me. I woke up several times during the night, or early morning, having bad dreams of what could have been... I’d bet you some money that I’m gonna have a little more of the same tonight... In fact, I’d be surprised, if they ever really truly stop... I guess, that’s part of being a parent... I guess.. That’s part of being human... As of tonight, Laura Lee is in Intensive Care. And she is very, very sick... I have, changed the names of the three girls, to protect their identity... But if your the praying type, or just wish to send her a much needed healing thought... It would be very very kind of you... God Please, Help Her Get Well I’ll keep you posted on Laura Lee’s condition Good Night, Always, Richy [This message has been edited by Nan (10-11-2003 08:25 AM).] |
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Nan
Administrator
Member Seraphic
since 1999-05-20
Posts 21191Cape Cod Massachusetts USA |
We raise our children to the best of our abilities... Then there comes a time when we have to entrust them with the wisdom we've spent years imparting upon them... It appears that you've done a fine job of that. These young folks were pretty fortunate to have had your son's support last night, as he was to have had yours... Situations like this, though, are surely every parent's worst fear. My prayers are with this young lady - both for her recovery and for her acquiring some wisdom from her experience... God Bless...  |
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Marilyn Member Elite
since 1999-09-26
Posts 2621Ontario, Canada |
Being a parent I can relate to the feelings depicted here. My prayers will also be with the young lady. Marilyn. |
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Midnitesun
since 2001-05-18
Posts 28647Gaia |
Oh, Richy, I am so sorry. But all are lucky to have survived this kind of accident. as for Laura Lee, she will need more than just medical help, as it sounds as if she was already over the edge before the 'accident' and she will be needing everyone's healing thoughts. Have a good rest tonight, and know we will all be holding hands for your family and friends. |
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Midnitesun
since 2001-05-18
Posts 28647Gaia |
On a completely different note: I was born in Escalon, a small farming (?) based community in Stanislaus (?)County near Fresno or Modesto, but I grew up in the San Fernando Valley. I am somewhat familiar with Highway 152 as it passes through ag lands near the San Luis Reservoir, and remember a place called Pacheco Pass. I remember it as being a fairly treacherous road, especially at night. As for your name, I also grew up with singer Ritchy Valens (Pacoima), whose real name was Ricardo Valenzuela. He was older than me, but I was lucky to have been able to know him for a brief time. Life can be so unpredictable, and end in a split second as his did one night. I know you will hold your son closer to you tonight. Peace to you and the family, and well wishes for that young lady. |
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Richy Member Elite
since 2003-05-03
Posts 3050 |
Nan thank you so much for taking the time to read and for the wonderful reply to this story. Marilyn, thank you so much too! And thank you for the prayers, they are much appreciated. Midnitesun, Thanks for taking the time to respond, I really appreciate it! I know where Escalon is. We used to drive through there on my way to my in-laws in Groveland. Now I’ve heard of the San Fernando Valley in So Cal. But I am not too familiar with that area. I’ve been around the Bay Area all my life. Until we moved to Los Banos five years ago. I like it here. And yes, Pacheco Pass is the part of highway 152 that crosses the Diablo Range. It’s not too bad anymore. They’ve improved it quite a bit. Except when it is real foggy... remember tule fog? And of course when it’s raining real hard. And then the winds are pretty trecherous too. Some Semi trucks have been flipped over by the wind. Hey I guess it is a pretty bad road...lol. Ritchie Valens huh? Wow what a trip! Your not Donna from the song and movie are you??? You’ll have to tell me about that sometime. I was talking to my cousin recently at a family reunion. And he was telling me that in the 50’s and 60’s that the Central Valley, he lived in the Visalia area, was just teeming with garage bands. That they would pack the halls every weekend. He was in several bands himself. He says it was just like the “La Bamba” movie. And you mentioned Modesto. That is where George Lucas was born and where they filmed “American Graffiti.” Modesto is about 45 minutes from here. In fact that is where Laura Lee is right now. The last I heard, is that she has a punctured lung, broken ribs, a broken ankle, They took her spleen out, and her liver was damaged. She was in an induced coma for a few days. But I heard that she has no brain damage, and she opened her eyes the other day. I am so worried about her. My son went with her to the prom, and she is just the sweetest thing. I have a feeling she is going to come out of this though. She just has to. You take good care of yourself Midnitesun, and thanks for your deep concern. It meant a lot to me! And you too Nan and Marilyn. Again, thanks so much! Richy |
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Martie
Moderator
Member Empyrean
since 1999-09-21
Posts 28049California |
Hi Richy....I'm sorry I didn't read this earlier...so I could give you some words of support. Do you have an update? Life is so fragile, isn't it...and it is so important, each day, to let the ones you love know they are loved, cause ya just never know if there will be a tomorrow.  |
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Richy Member Elite
since 2003-05-03
Posts 3050 |
Wow, I hadn’t been to the prose forum in a bazillion years, and for some reason I just popped in right now to give it a quick peruse. And so how surprised I was to see my name up in the right hand column? What, someone had replied to something I wrote last May!?! Martie, that was so kind of you to ask how everything turned out! But then I’m not really surprised, because you’ve always been so caring, and sincere. Well. here’s the poop! Laura Lee, fully recovered as far as we all know. I say, as far as we all know, because she and my son have become estranged over this whole ordeal. It is so unfortunate too, since there were so very close. Of course I don’t know what really happened. But what might have happened is that, when she came to, a few days after she was first admitted into the hospital. I think that her family was all over her. They had all heard from my son, and the two other girls that were in the car, that it was Laura Lee who pulled the steering wheel, and that she had been picked up from her sister’s house, already somewhat inebriated. And so, they may have tried to suggest, or manipulate her to either spin the story a little or maybe even tell an untruth, and deny that she ever did such a thing. Or, when she came to, and her family started “bombarding” her with questions about the accident, asking her if any of this was true. She might have panicked, and just started to say that, “no” that is not what happened. Remember, she had taken off her seatbelt, and after pulling the steering wheel, causing the car to flip several times, she was the only one thrown from the car, and was found face down quite a bit aways, in the dirt of an orchard. So who knows, she might not even remember anything at all anyway. Now, let me just say, that I wasn’t there. And so, I am just going from what my son, and the two other passenger’s said from the minute, I got that terrible phone call that night, to when I got out there a few minutes later, when I talked to the girls. And what they told the California Highway Patrol who were out there handling the scene. Any who, what happened was that her family got an attorney, and they contacted my insurance company and my insurance rep called me and told me, all the possible situations that might occur, and that I should let her release my insurance information to this lawyer (a very common procedure in this kind of situation) and that they would take it from there. Well, we haven’t really heard anything after that, except for some minor correspondence from my insurance rep, and so I don’t think that too much is going to happen except that my insurance will have to pay the maximum allowed insurance payouts, to in fact, all three of the girls, since they all have incurred hospital and or medical expense bills in some form or another. So as you can see, it all ended up really good in some ways, and pretty sour in others. What were once two great friends, are not even speaking to each other anymore. And instead of trying to work it all out like the rest of the three families did. Laura Lee’s family has stayed away, and just didn’t want anything to do with any of the other parties involved. That is the worst part. If it had been either one of the other two girls who had gotten injured, then all three of our families would have been there from the first night in the hospital, helping each other out, and lending any support that we could to one another. In fact, after I met one of the girls parents at the hospital, they invited us to their house the following week for a graduation party for their daughter who was slightly hurt. And I met the other girls parents there as well. But not Laura Lee’s. They isolated themselves from all the rest of us, and well, in the end, I think that made everyone feel like we lost the opportunity to come together at this real crucial time. Especially for these kids, who I feel needed all of us to show them that when something like this happens, you all should do what you can do to help each other out. Well, I really learned a lot from the whole thing. I learned that you just never know how people are going to react to a real serious situation. I learned that there really are some very caring and responsible people “out there.” And I also learned that life really is fragile. That those people whom we hold so close and so dear to our hearts. Can be seriously hurt, or even worse, god forbid, well you know... and be taken away from us, forever. I am so glad that Laura Lee recovered, and can continue to live out her life with all the advantages that good health can bring you. I am so glad that my son, had the sense to not be drinking or under the influence of anything whatsoever. And that he was able to help everyone out, when it was needed of him. But most of all, I am just so glad, that he is still with us. I don’t know where I would be today, if he wasn’t. Thanks for asking Martie, I really appreciate it. It gave me another chance to really put into perspective, what it is really all about. Thanks Again! Bless You Richy |
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Ringo
since 2003-02-20
Posts 3684Saluting with misty eyes |
Prayers on the way for all involved, as well as wishes that you're heartbeat eventually goes back to normal, and for your son to sleep through the night. I got to thinking about my son while I was reading this. he get's his liscense next year, and the thuoght of this happening has my hands shaking... Sending up prayers of thanks for your son being OK. We are all equal but we’re individually different |
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Richy Member Elite
since 2003-05-03
Posts 3050 |
Bradly, I’ll tell you, your one heck of a guy! Thanks so much for taking the time to read this long post of mine, and especially for your sincere reply! I really appreciate that! This wasn’t so much a story that I wanted to write, it was more a story that I needed to write. It was a way for me to put collect my feelings on a real and truly frightening life experience. I can’t help but be so much more concerned now whenever my son takes one of the cars to school, or out for some other particular errand. Or even when he is out with one or more of his friends, driving over to the mall, to hang out with all the other young people that like to gather there and socialize. I have always instilled in him, how dangerous driving can be. And I really feel that he truly understands this and believes it to be true. But still, he has gotten into these two accidents already. All I can offer to you Bradly, from one father to another is to be really tight about how much driving is allowed to your driving age children. And I’m sorry, I don’t mean that to sound like I’m trying to push my advice on you, or my way of thinking or anything. It’s just that sometimes when we hear someone else doing or saying something that we also think is the right thing, it just helps us feel a little more assured in our own way of thinking. At least it does for me. Now I can’t control what happens once my son leaves the house, but I can and do, have some general rules he must abide by, if he wants to continue having any driving privileges. Like, knowing where he is going, with who, when he will be back, to keep his phone on at all times in case I need to get a hold of him, to call me if he is running late, or if he can stay for a while longer, how to change the tire if he has a flat, etc. Well Bradly, I’m sure that these are all things that you have thought about, so I hope I didn’t bore or annoy you too much... lol You sound like a real upstanding person, and I’m sure that everything will work out great! Well hey, thanks again all right! Take Great Care, And I’ll see you somewhere soon down the poetry path... lol Your Pal, Richy |
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Nan
Administrator
Member Seraphic
since 1999-05-20
Posts 21191Cape Cod Massachusetts USA |
Well - My initial thoughts are to be very grateful that all of these young people survived. We lose so many teens to automobile accidents within a year after they're licensed. You can't belabor the reactions of this young girl's family - but they can't stop you from thanking God that she's well... BTW - I've made a minor adjustment - to show you how you never have to miss a comment on one of your threads - no matter how long ago you posted it... Kewl, eh?..  |
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Richy Member Elite
since 2003-05-03
Posts 3050 |
Nan, thank you so much for replying again. The concern that you’ve shown really means a lot to me, and to my family. And it just shows me how caring you are. Yeah, this whole episode is really behind us now. And I have no ill will at all toward her family whatsoever. Heck, if that was my child, and she told me that she didn’t do it, then I would trust her, and believe her too. It is so true, that the most important thing is that no one sustained any injuries that weren’t able to fully heal, in a relatively short period of time. And that they can all go on with their young lives, and hopefully be all the wiser, for this experience. Thanks Again Nan! Bless You, Richy |
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