(no subject)
My friend and co-worker Matt was hit by a car on his way home from work tonight. I was driving behind him. I spoke to his girlfriend about an hour ago who couldn't talk long because she was talking to police but said that he had regained consciousness though he kept asking what happened and that he is going to be just fine.
We had just left San Marco Theatre, and at night the lights between San Marco and the onramp for I-95 are blinking yellow and red. I was going to give him a ride home tonight but his girlfriend showed up and he was driving her Jetta (which is really her parents' car). As they were going through the blinking yellow lights (at or below the speed limit) a jeep came barreling down from the highway and didn't even brake at the blinking red lights, hitting the drivers side of the Jetta with immense force. There was a loud crashing sound, and the Jetta spun around while the Jeep turned up on the curb and stopped. The Jeep had to be going at least 60mph, I swear, which means at least twice the speed limit. At this point I didn't know who was in the Jetta, but I pulled over and parked to see if I could help anyone and to give a witness report to the police. As I approached I heard a female voice screaming "Is he okay?! Oh my god, Matt, are you hurt? He's hurt!!" I walked up and the girl was Melissa, Matt's girlfriend. She was standing outside the car, with the door open such that the inside lights of the car were on. I could see clearly Matt in the drivers seat, totally limp with blood all over his face and body. I can see it all so clearly, so perfectly. It is engrained in my mind. People were gathering around from the nearby bar or club, someone was asking for gloves, people were trying to comfort Melissa and saying that he's okay, he's gonna be okay, and everyone was saying not to touch him. I went up to her and she saw me and was very relieved to see a familiar face as she cried out my name, even if she had only just met me ten minutes ago. I told her with full confidence in my voice that he was okay, even as I looked, now up close at his limp body, the thick clotted blood all over his face, the splotches of blood on his shirt. The worse part of it all though, was the thick solid stream of clear tears that were coming down from his eyes. As the police showed up and I continued to calm and comfort Melissa, I called David, the owner of San Marco and talked to him about what happened, and tried to get Tim Massett's number since Melissa really wanted it. Matt started to move his head, and now it was much easier to say it was going to be all right. By the time he was being loaded up into the fire department's EMT vehicle, he was moving his hands and neck and looked to be regaining conciousness. I talked to the police, got Melissa's questions answered and helped her get permission to ride with him to the hospital. When I last spoke to her, she said that he had regained conciousness and kept asking her what happened, what happened. She said she keeps telling him but he doesn't remember. The hospital staff says that's normal and that he's going to be just fine. Melissa told me she'd call me as soon as she can, but she still hasn't called. It's possible that cell phones can't be used in there or that she's talking to Matt and helping him.
I've only known Matt for a few weeks, but I already know him to be one of the most interesting, caring, and compassionate people around. His spirit is great, he makes people feel good, and he has a great attitude. The emotions I had when I recognized him in the driver's seat are undescribable.
I can't really explain how I feel. Anger at the driver of the Jeep. Aware of my own spurts of recklessness. The what-ifs...what if we hadn't shown an 11:15 showing of Shaun of the Dead - this wouldn't have happened. What if I had given Matt a ride home - they wouldn't have been hit. What if someone had been driving a convertible, motorcycle, or scooter. I have now scrapped all plans of getting a goped.
Worse yet, the what will happen questions. What will his status be in the morning. Did he get any internal injuries? Before he left work he poured himself a beer which was with him in the car, the car which he isn't listed as on the insurance. What will he suffer because of that? What will Melissa's parents suffer? What will happen to the driver of the Jeep?
I am relieved that he is okay, and that he's going to be just fine. But I have experienced too many deaths of my peers in the last couple years. One to lightning, one to a car accident, one to suicide, one to kidney failure, one to a fucking alligator. People always say that this day could be your last, but we rarely pay heed to this. I have so many plans, so many plans for myself. But I must make sure that I am enjoying my life as it is now as well. And I really don't want another person I know to die, especially at such a young age.
We must make the best of our lives, and we must also live responsibly so that neither ourselves nor those around us are adversely affected by our actions.
Otherwise, we might just find that we are the drivers of the out of control Jeep.
We had just left San Marco Theatre, and at night the lights between San Marco and the onramp for I-95 are blinking yellow and red. I was going to give him a ride home tonight but his girlfriend showed up and he was driving her Jetta (which is really her parents' car). As they were going through the blinking yellow lights (at or below the speed limit) a jeep came barreling down from the highway and didn't even brake at the blinking red lights, hitting the drivers side of the Jetta with immense force. There was a loud crashing sound, and the Jetta spun around while the Jeep turned up on the curb and stopped. The Jeep had to be going at least 60mph, I swear, which means at least twice the speed limit. At this point I didn't know who was in the Jetta, but I pulled over and parked to see if I could help anyone and to give a witness report to the police. As I approached I heard a female voice screaming "Is he okay?! Oh my god, Matt, are you hurt? He's hurt!!" I walked up and the girl was Melissa, Matt's girlfriend. She was standing outside the car, with the door open such that the inside lights of the car were on. I could see clearly Matt in the drivers seat, totally limp with blood all over his face and body. I can see it all so clearly, so perfectly. It is engrained in my mind. People were gathering around from the nearby bar or club, someone was asking for gloves, people were trying to comfort Melissa and saying that he's okay, he's gonna be okay, and everyone was saying not to touch him. I went up to her and she saw me and was very relieved to see a familiar face as she cried out my name, even if she had only just met me ten minutes ago. I told her with full confidence in my voice that he was okay, even as I looked, now up close at his limp body, the thick clotted blood all over his face, the splotches of blood on his shirt. The worse part of it all though, was the thick solid stream of clear tears that were coming down from his eyes. As the police showed up and I continued to calm and comfort Melissa, I called David, the owner of San Marco and talked to him about what happened, and tried to get Tim Massett's number since Melissa really wanted it. Matt started to move his head, and now it was much easier to say it was going to be all right. By the time he was being loaded up into the fire department's EMT vehicle, he was moving his hands and neck and looked to be regaining conciousness. I talked to the police, got Melissa's questions answered and helped her get permission to ride with him to the hospital. When I last spoke to her, she said that he had regained conciousness and kept asking her what happened, what happened. She said she keeps telling him but he doesn't remember. The hospital staff says that's normal and that he's going to be just fine. Melissa told me she'd call me as soon as she can, but she still hasn't called. It's possible that cell phones can't be used in there or that she's talking to Matt and helping him.
I've only known Matt for a few weeks, but I already know him to be one of the most interesting, caring, and compassionate people around. His spirit is great, he makes people feel good, and he has a great attitude. The emotions I had when I recognized him in the driver's seat are undescribable.
I can't really explain how I feel. Anger at the driver of the Jeep. Aware of my own spurts of recklessness. The what-ifs...what if we hadn't shown an 11:15 showing of Shaun of the Dead - this wouldn't have happened. What if I had given Matt a ride home - they wouldn't have been hit. What if someone had been driving a convertible, motorcycle, or scooter. I have now scrapped all plans of getting a goped.
Worse yet, the what will happen questions. What will his status be in the morning. Did he get any internal injuries? Before he left work he poured himself a beer which was with him in the car, the car which he isn't listed as on the insurance. What will he suffer because of that? What will Melissa's parents suffer? What will happen to the driver of the Jeep?
I am relieved that he is okay, and that he's going to be just fine. But I have experienced too many deaths of my peers in the last couple years. One to lightning, one to a car accident, one to suicide, one to kidney failure, one to a fucking alligator. People always say that this day could be your last, but we rarely pay heed to this. I have so many plans, so many plans for myself. But I must make sure that I am enjoying my life as it is now as well. And I really don't want another person I know to die, especially at such a young age.
We must make the best of our lives, and we must also live responsibly so that neither ourselves nor those around us are adversely affected by our actions.
Otherwise, we might just find that we are the drivers of the out of control Jeep.