My 2001 Beetle after the crash

The drunken coward's truck sits beside it

I became a "survivor" on April 16th, 2002 after an uninsured drunk driver plowed into me from behind at 70 m.p.h while I was stopped at a traffic light.  The crash occurred at 5:50 a.m. while I was on my way to work.  I didn't see the drunk approaching in my rear view mirror because he had no headlights on.  The impact of the crash caused my Beetle to spin continuously from the northbound lanes into the southbound.  I don't remember much about the impact because I was knocked out instantly.  After I regained consciousness, I was very confused and in so much pain.  I couldn't understand why my feet were up on the dashboard and why my sunroof was open.  Then it hit me.  I saw traffic lights through my sunroof and realized that I was in a crash.  I remember thinking that I was paralyzed because I couldn't move or breathe.  Yes, I was scared, confused and felt alone because I knew that I was going to die and all I wanted was my family to be there with me when I did.  It's an empty feeling that still haunts me today! 

 

The pain I suffered that day was agonizing.  I guess you can say - torture.  I hated God for allowing me to survive.  The pain lasted every second of every minute of every hour of every day of every week of every month and now of every year.  Even pain killers couldn't dull the pain I suffered.  The drunk had fractured my skull which caused a grapefruit size hematoma on the back of my head.  The doctor says that it will take years for the hematoma to dissolve.  So far, he's correct.  He also broke my collar bone and ribs, gave me whiplash and herniated discs in my neck and back, sprained my lower back and injured my right shoulder.  Of course, I still have back, neck and shoulder problems to this day, as well as a neurological problems that cause pain & numbness in my legs and arms.  My hips have been numb since the crash.  He also injured my knee and fractured my ankle.  My ankle has a "non-healing" fracture.  I had a lot of bruising from my seat belt, but it saved my life.  I also lost the skin on my upper arm.  My sister found it on my car door later at the salvage yard.  Yes, I was very fortunate that I did not die that day.  I spent over a year and a half in physical therapy to no avail.  I missed months of work and then was forced financially to return part-time that year.  I thank God today for sparing my life but I still have days that I just wish it were all over.  My neurologist said that I will have to learn to live with the pain & rely on pain pills for the rest of my life and will eventually become so debilitated that I will need surgery on my back.  As the years go by now, I'm becoming more dependant on my cane.  Where's the justice?

 

I thank God for my sisters & boyfriend. They not only bathed & cared for me for months after the crash but have helped me throughout my entire ordeal.  For this, I will always be grateful!  As for the drunk coward (a 40 yr. old loser), he fled on foot after crashing into me.  His airbag, unfortunately, saved his life.  Later at the hospital, I was told by the deputy sheriff investigating the crash not to worry because he knew who the driver was and had a warrant out for his arrest.  April, 2008 will make six years and Danny Price of Madison, WV will never be brought to justice.  According to the police, he had just been released from jail and obviously didn't want to go back.  They "were waiting on him to come in and confess on his own!"  Can you believe it?  It's a shame, because Danny Price sentenced me to life that day.  A life of pain and suffering.  He chose to drink and take drugs.  He chose to get into his uninsured king cab truck and drive while impaired.  And he chose to plow into me from behind and then leave me for dead.  I had no choices that day.  Since then, he has been arrested on numerous other DUI charges only to be released a day later.  The system really knows how to make someone feel safe.  Danny Price has broken me physically & financially.  So many people have told me that I need to forget about the crash and move on with my life.  Tell that to my broken body.  No one can ever understand until they have been through the same ordeal.  I don't blame them for that; I was naive too.  I thought because I was a safe driver that nothing could ever happen to me.  Boy, was I wrong.  I found out that I wasn't invincible after all.  

 

All of my family wear their seat belts now...and I'm always encouraging others to do so as well.  My life didn't flash before my eyes, nor did I see any bright lights.  Everything seemed to be happening in slow motion but I couldn't process what was happening, then it just went black.  Had I not awoken that day, I would have never known what hit me.  I thank God that I did wake up.  

 

My fate was in the hands of a drunken coward that day.  I pray to God the same fate for Danny Price as he chose for me on April 16, 2002.