In prison this morning a young man asked for prayer for his friend who has been involved in a motorbike crash. I spoke to him after and it seems the motorcyclist is in intensive care with head injuries as well as multiple fractures. If you're a pray-er please pray for him.
It reminded me of the crash I was in. Don't worry this is not a depressing story!
I was visiting my then boyfriend in Croydon. He'd come to collect me at the station and we were driving back to the YMCA, where he was lodging until he could find a flat. We were driving along a dual carriageway when a car coming from the other direction turned right in front of us.
I clearly remember in those few seconds the thoughts going through my head.
'Stupid driver.'
'We're not going to hit her.'
'We are going to hit her.'
Next thing I was flying through the air. I landed somewhere in the mile of the road. It was evening time and thankfully there wasn't too much traffic so I only crashed into tarmac not a moving vehicle.
It's amazing when a crash happens the way things just go on around you. It all falls into place while you're sitting/lying there thinking, 'What am I doing in the middle of the road?' People stop, help you, emergency services arrive and all is taken care of.
Ambulance took us off to hospital where they declared me fit to leave and my boyfriend called another friend who came to fetch us and take us to the YM. Now, understand, this was the mid-70s and the YM was still the Young Men's Christian Association with its rules, such as, 'No female over-night visitors.' (It might have been no overnight guests in general but certainly no females.)
It's not easy sneaking in somewhere when you're by nature a law-abiding person; it's even harder when you can hardly walk having just been in a road traffic accident.
But we did it and I got into his room safely. Collapsed thankfully into bed, already dosed on pain-killers, and fell asleep fitfully.
A few hours later the fire alarm went off. 'What the ...? How can ...? Is it a drill? At 2.30 in the morning? I'm not supposed to be here and I can barely walk. Oh no!'
Boyfriend got up and looked into the corridor. 'No-one's moving,' he said, and after a while the alarm stopped and we went back to trying to sleep.
Thinking about it now I realise just how stupid/dangerous that was. But at the time it was, 'Hey, fire alarms are always going off.' It was a tower block and we were quite high up. How I would have limped down the stairs if I'd needed to ... doesn't bear thinking about.
But I'm here to tell the tale. And aren't you glad? (Don't answer that.)
7 comments:
What? You were not wearing your seatbelt? Only a few years after your accident, the U.S. Navy showed us a film (not video, of course) on the benefits of motorcyclists' wearing seatbelts. Although we've cyclists (2 in the past, 1 in the present) in our family, I can't say that I've ever seen a cyclist wearing a seatbelt. Somehow, it was just too hard a sell.
Glad you were not worse off for your experience, and that you didn't get cremated prematurely.
Cop Car
I don't know any bikers who wear seat-belts! I've never even heard of them, Cop Car. perhaps they didn't get as far as the UK.
I look back to riding pillion on Husband's motorbike without a helmet and am eternally grateful to my guardian angel! At that age we think we're immortal.
That's true, sonata. And if I hadn't been wearing a helmet it would have been a different story.
I once woke up on a roadside. A man with a van was on the phone saying, "Don't worry the ambulance is coming soon... "
What ambulance, I wondered. Turned out I had been hit on the head by a bread lorry while crossing the road. I had terrible concussion and didn't know where I was for the next week. I hope you are OK Liz? When did this crash of yours happen? I hope the painkillers were decent.
Are you still in and out of that prison, Liz? Oh you naughty girl!!
I am alive Liz! Yes! Alive!
I have been writing intellectual stories!
None so far published mainly because I haven't submitted anything to anyone. I'm going to have to come up with an author blog/website thing and when I do I will tell you the new name/address I'm using because I am NOT writing about drugs or anything like that. I'm really glad I chose not to. Imagine if my book was a success and everyone wanted another and then another ~ I'd never get away from that terrible label. In fact I would end up branding myself for ever even worse than I'm branded already. Know what I mean?
Anyway I just dropped by to say hello. I will get in touch again I'm sorry it's been so long. Take care XXXXXXX
Gledwood! Lovely to hear from you again. And good to hear that you're alive!
. . . "only crashed into tarmac not a moving vehicle."
ONLY the tarmac?!!! it's amazing you survived! here everyone goes at such high speeds that usually motorcyclists never survive a crash. and even if you do... like you say the other traffic will get you. you were so lucky. and blessed.
and speaking of that... if a heartfelt prayer can help... he has mine for sure.
and his will to live will have so much to do with it! and at his age surely he will try. brings tears to my eyes and I don't even know him!
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