"At least she's alive" - young woman's life changed forever
 

On a rain-dampened street in a 35-mile-per-hour zone in fading light, the friend had tried to make a left turn in traffic; an oncoming SUV had slammed into Andrea’s side of the Jetta. Both were unconscious.

Bill Briggs - TODAY - June 12, 2012

We know the traffic death count, but the disabled count can't be that good --Ed.

I had done all my crying weeks before. But pacing a hospital hallway -- as nurses changed the diapers of my silent, blank-faced, 20-year-old daughter in the room behind me -- I asked my wife for a hug.

I don’t request many. I try to give more hugs than I get. But that August night, I yearned for the blonde girl lying in the bed 20 feet away, a respiration machine blowing oxygen through a hole cut into her trachea.... [Read More]

Re: "At least she's alive" - young woman's life changed forever
 

Car accident or fall ... that's all.

Multiple sports impacts ...

There are organic causes like strokes as well.

See http://www.biausa.org/

Our daughter's skull was crushed by high forcepts during birth ... many years ago. This fathers' day, she very cheerfully and graciously helped my wife and I prepare for and entertain dinner guests and their 3 year old daughter ... a pleasure to see.

Matter of fact, I tried despararely to warn the Congress, DOD, and White House of the probability of combat induced percussive and impact brain injury as early as 2003/4 ... with no sucess. Not even from my Congressman who claims to be NC's most aggressive advocate for military personnel and veterans.

As Bill Briggs's article says, an "estimated 1.7 million people a year to suffer a traumatic brain injury" and about 20% (iirc) have permanent impairment as a result.

Re: "At least she's alive" - young woman's life changed forever
 

"...they were returning from a Denver ice cream parlor, both wearing seatbelts; on a rain-dampened street in a 35-mile-per-hour zone in fading light, the friend had tried to make a left turn in traffic; an oncoming SUV had slammed into Andrea’s side of the Jetta;"

There is absolutely no excuse for that "accident." If you are getting behind the wheel of a car, and especially if you have a passenger, you need to take full responsibility for your driving, and give it your complete attention.

The SUV driver might have helped the situation by having his lights on in "fading light" but there is still no excuse for turning left in front of something as big as an SUV. Motorcyclists have to cope with these left-turning idiots on a daily basis, struggling to survive against the tide of stupidity and carelessness. People are dying and being horribly injured because people won't put sufficient effort into driving safely.

Harry

Re: "At least she's alive" - young woman's life changed forever
 

I had a somewhat similar incident a couple years ago, lady was driving a tiny grey hatchback, the same color of the road, with no headlights on at 6 am in the morning. I didn't see her, and pulled out and hit her. The sheriff's dept didn't even bother to file a report on it, and no court date was ever scheduled. She tried to collect on my insurance, but I told the insurance investigator that she was driving before sunrise w/o headlights and they said that they would deny her claim because of that.

Re: "At least she's alive" - young woman's life changed forever
 

My partner was hot from behind by a SUV driver (who was also on welfare). I was really glad he wasn't hurt. I was really mad that the welfare bunny that hot him could afford an Oldsmobile Bravada, but not car insurance, and that her section 8 home was almost as big as the home I pay for.

Re: "At least she's alive" - young woman's life changed forever
 

We were recently in Hawaii (home of helmetless motorcycle riding). I was dismayed to see just how deep into fading light drivers go, no daytime running lights. Also in Canada: there seems to be more and more vehicles, late model, with Canadian plates, but no daytime running lights. Cross-border shopping for cars I'd speculate, but I thought if you imported a car you had to bring it into compliance. I guess not. :confused:

Re: "At least she's alive" - young woman's life changed forever
 

I'm really glad that modern cars have at least some level of default illumination.

Re: "At least she's alive" - young woman's life changed forever
 

Amen.