Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2008/01/01
[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]Having been through a hideously similar experience abt 8 years ago - I was the driver and my son woke me up - I know just what you've gone through and just how astoundingly lucky you were. 2008 will indeed be a very good year for you! B. D. Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry -----Original Message----- From: "Adam Bridge" <abridge@gmail.com> Date: Tue, 1 Jan 2008 14:17:43 To:"Leica Users Group" <lug@leica-users.org> Subject: [Leica] We're thankful to be alive in 2008 My wife and I were involved in a one-car roll-over accident just east of Barstow, CA on I-40. Jan may have fallen asleep. When I saw us drifting toward the side of the road I said something and she awoke with a start, over correct, and we began a series of escalating swerves that ended up with us hitting the beginning of an Armco barrier which we sheered off, became airborne, and came down having turned 360 in the air and some greater amount after we hit the ground. We came to rest on the passenger side of the car. Within moments two good samaratins with EMT training were helping us. My wife was bleeding profusely from a 6 cm cut in the top of her head, she was hanging from her seat, supported by the seat belt. It took about 45 minutes to get us out - they had to cut off the pillars on the drivers side and peel it back. We were taken to Barstow where we added to an already full ER. We were treated well, but slowly, since we were not experiencing any real pain. After four hours we were x-rayed, CAT scanned, and finally about 2:00 AM released. We had only my small camera bag and Jan's shoulder bag. Fortunately she had her cell phone and our son in DC was able to find a room for us for the night. Barstow has no taxi service so a hospital nurse took us to the Holiday Inn Express. They had cut off our clothes and we were drenched in blood and (it turns out) broken eggs etc. All our belongings, cameras (save the Leica) were in the car that was towed to a junk yard. The next day Jan talked a driver at the tow service to pick us up so we could have clothes and rescue our valuables. Our daughter and her boyfriend drove down from the Bay Area and we packed up the truck with our belongings. We found my iPhone by calling it...it still worked. My M8 still worked although the lens hood on the 35 sumicron had been sheered off. The lenses seem well packed and survived. I have not tried the 1Ds MkII or looked at the 560 teleyt. I have a broken left shoulder socket where some event pushed my arm hard into the socket. Here are photos of the car from the iphone: http://gallery.mac.com/abridge#100015&view=grid&bgcolor=black&sel=6 We are blessed to be alive, to have honest people who stopped and helped, to have kind caregivers and thoughtful people all around. I'm sure the desk clerk at the Holiday Inn was shocked but she rallied and found us something to eat and drink and had found an easy-access room for us. There are miracles. I do not know what I have ever done to deserve this one but I hope to, somehow, pay it back. Adam & Jan Bridge _______________________________________________ Leica Users Group. See http://leica-users.org/mailman/listinfo/lug for more information