Luck of the Welsh?
The saying is "luck of the Irish" but in my father's case, it's "Luck of the Welsh". Two weeks ago, he fell and broke a rib - totally broke it, not just fractured. Anyone that knows my dad knows he tends to imbibe heavily - usually in Vodka. His idea of a drink is a 16 oz glass.. with 14 oz of Vodka and a splash of tonic water and a few ice cubes.
Since he broke his rib, he's sworn off Vodka - he's been drinking beer only, and even that, not too much (for him, anyway... if I tried to drink what he does, I'd be dead).
Yesterday (Tuesday) he was feeling better than he has since he broke his rib and decided to go out selling. He's a consummate salesman. I received a call at 5:30 that he's been in a head on collision. Thank the gods that he didn't drink at all yesterday - and that he happened to be in my car because his is having a problem.
He was in his own lane, at 4:30 on a fairly busy road. An oncoming car veered in to his lane and dad had nowhere to go - there was more oncoming traffic to the left, and tall trees to the right. He did try to go to the right a bit, but so did the car that was coming at him (that car's left). My dad has always hated seat belts and wasn't wearing one - if he were in his car, he'd have been through the windshield. My car has airbags that saved his life.
They had to use the jaws of life to get him out of my car. He was taken to the closest trauma center and luckily managed to only have 3 fractured ribs (plus the one broken one from 2 weeks ago), lots of cuts and bruises and a large hematoma on his head. The cat scan came back clear - no concussion or fractured skull. He has a little blood in his lung but not enough to warrant them draining it. He's in a step-down ward (one level lower than ICU, but higher than a normal hospital room) and is being observed to make sure there are no internal injuries and to help him control the pain.
He has got to be one of the luckiest men I know. When I called the police station tonight to get the info on where to get my stuff out of the car, etc, the cop I talked to was one of the ones who responded to the scene. He told me he was sure that my father was dead when they first got there, and were quite surprised to see him conscious and talking.
The guy who hit him wasn't drunk. He was sighted for failure to maintain his lane and reckless endangerment. He has insurance so everything should be covered without a problem. The guy admitted fault, but said he didn't realize he had veered in to dads lane until it was too late (daydream driving?). He was unhurt and didn't have to go to the hospital (I don't know what kind of vehicle he was driving, but dad was in my 2006 Toyota Matrix).
My shiny new car is totaled, but my 76 year old father survived - and will be ok. I think every favor I ever did for anyone got paid back today.
Since he broke his rib, he's sworn off Vodka - he's been drinking beer only, and even that, not too much (for him, anyway... if I tried to drink what he does, I'd be dead).
Yesterday (Tuesday) he was feeling better than he has since he broke his rib and decided to go out selling. He's a consummate salesman. I received a call at 5:30 that he's been in a head on collision. Thank the gods that he didn't drink at all yesterday - and that he happened to be in my car because his is having a problem.
He was in his own lane, at 4:30 on a fairly busy road. An oncoming car veered in to his lane and dad had nowhere to go - there was more oncoming traffic to the left, and tall trees to the right. He did try to go to the right a bit, but so did the car that was coming at him (that car's left). My dad has always hated seat belts and wasn't wearing one - if he were in his car, he'd have been through the windshield. My car has airbags that saved his life.
They had to use the jaws of life to get him out of my car. He was taken to the closest trauma center and luckily managed to only have 3 fractured ribs (plus the one broken one from 2 weeks ago), lots of cuts and bruises and a large hematoma on his head. The cat scan came back clear - no concussion or fractured skull. He has a little blood in his lung but not enough to warrant them draining it. He's in a step-down ward (one level lower than ICU, but higher than a normal hospital room) and is being observed to make sure there are no internal injuries and to help him control the pain.
He has got to be one of the luckiest men I know. When I called the police station tonight to get the info on where to get my stuff out of the car, etc, the cop I talked to was one of the ones who responded to the scene. He told me he was sure that my father was dead when they first got there, and were quite surprised to see him conscious and talking.
The guy who hit him wasn't drunk. He was sighted for failure to maintain his lane and reckless endangerment. He has insurance so everything should be covered without a problem. The guy admitted fault, but said he didn't realize he had veered in to dads lane until it was too late (daydream driving?). He was unhurt and didn't have to go to the hospital (I don't know what kind of vehicle he was driving, but dad was in my 2006 Toyota Matrix).
My shiny new car is totaled, but my 76 year old father survived - and will be ok. I think every favor I ever did for anyone got paid back today.