Positive thoughts needed.

[nootka]

A very good friend/all around great guy was in an accident earlier today and he was taken to the hospital. He was driving his Jerr-Dan tow truck and I think he had a head-on accident w/another car on a highway near here (the other driver apparently has injuries as well).

Please keep our friend, Al, in your thoughts (he was one of the people I mentioned on my kindness/thoughtfulness post and he's earned a lot of good turns, so I hope he comes through this stronger than ever beings as how he's cheated death at least once before):

(this is him last July when he let the boys operate his truck (they sorta idolize him w/his job luxuries ya know. Also this truck is the one that was in the wreck, his newest one in his lineup).

Thanks for your time...thoughts/prayers.

Liz

Just mentally pacing, here...going to leave soon and see if we can see him.

This is one of those guys that is always "there" for his friends above and beyond, and his kindness to strangers is the greatest. He's well-suited for his job and if you ever have a car problem, he'd be right there to take care of all of it w/a grin. Hard to put into words, but he hopefully is getting lots of repayment for his kindness and generosity. I know I plan on giving.

Liz

 

[rabbitsfizz]

I shall keep him in my thoughts and prayers, Liz, I hope it is good news at the Hospital.

 

[luvmymini2]

I hope your friend does get better...Will be sending prayers his way....

 

[Reble]

Thinking of him &

:

 

[tifflunn]

Will do!

 

[LindaL]

Keeping your friend in my thoughts...hope he recovers well.

 

[Crabby-Chicken]

[SIZE=14pt] OMG,,,,[/SIZE]

I hope he is fine and makes a complete recovery soon!!! I know how important to you guys he is... Sounds like a wonderful friend.

 

[Ashley]

Talked to Liz, she says he is out and on the road to recovery.

 

[ChrystalPaths]

Oh Liz, sending what I can for you, prayers!

 

[Beccy]

Will be keeping Al and the other driver in prayer. Glad to hear that the news is positive!

 

[nootka]

Hi, all!

Thanks for thinking of him. He's going to be ok, but is VERY sore. Here is what happened:

He was pulled over after having towed a motorcycle stopped by the police for going 125 mph. He was sitting in his truck by the side of the road w/his amber warning lights flashing overhead as is customary. This 21-year old girl was driving by, "got confused" by the flashing lights and drove into the back/bed of his truck at 65 mph. I think Al said she was in Portland at a hospital there, and is VERY messed up (I can't imagine driving that fast into that slab of steel, which is pretty strong and has a "pointed" end to it) but going to live. The man who's motorcycle was being towed is hurt also, has maybe broken ribs. Al was looking back out his window and saw the car coming so I think his neck is more sore than it might have been had he been looking forward.

Jeez, I always worry about him working in and around the road w/cars whipping past, he's out there cleaning up broken glass, picking up stray parts and things and here is this person sees these flashing lights and wow...

Just so very relieved!

All Al could say is "I want a hot bath" Poor guy. His truck's in pretty bad shape, but he should be able to get it repaired and back in action w/a new bed on it.

Liz

 

[RainSong]

Thank heavens! I've been waiting and hoping for a good outcome.

But how does someone "get confused" by the lights??? .... Now I'M confused!

 

[susanne]

Hi Liz,

I just read this, and I'm so glad Al is doing better! I'm glad he saw a doctor about this, as that's such a bad way to be hit (not that any way is good). I'm afraid he's going to really hurt tomorrow...

He sounds like a wonderful friend, and I know for a fact that he has at least several great friends in the McMaster family!

 

[nootka]

Yes, whenever I see flashing lights I take my foot right off the accelerator for ONE thing, and I slow down, also, and focus my attention 100% on the ROAD, not space off. I have the feeling she was doing something she shouldn't have been (talking on the cell, etc.).

It happened on Hwy 30 on the Ferris Crk. Bridge just after Svensen. Hwy 30 is a bad road anyway, and this is a curving stretch of road that is on a concrete bridge spanning a swamp/another road.

Yep, he's probably going to hurt even more tomorrow, but we'll see what we can do to cheer him up.

He's been a very good friend so no hardship at all being a good friend to someone like that. Like I said, I don't know HOW I would have made it through that first night after Martin's accident w/out his friendship and support. And in the days/weeks/months after. He's just one of those nurturing/caring type souls I guess and it's good he's in that job since people he comes into contact with are generally quite stressed (accidents/breakdowns, etc.), he is a very calming influence. When I first heard about the accident and all, I just couldn't imagine that it would be "fair" to take him out of the equation, or have him suffer any more.

Liz

 

[Mona]

:aktion033: YAY! I am so happy to hear your close friend Al is going to be OK!!

 

[REO]

I'm SO glad Al is ok! When I saw the title of your thread I thought, "Not Al!" And then to find out it was Al! I hope the bike guy and the girl will be ok and that Al can get his truck fixed!

Gosh Liz, what a huge scare! {{{Hug}}}

 

[nootka]

Well, he's a "tough guy" sort, but says his scar tissue in his chest (from the stab wounds and repair work) is hurting him a lot today along w/the other all over soreness.

Hope he stays close to his docs...but he's got a lot to do. Thanks for keeping him in your thoughts.

Liz

 

[sedeh]

Hi Liz,

I'm glad to hear Al is going to be okay. Young drivers just don't think too well sometimes. I hope she ends up okay too. We had 4 teens brought in last night as trauma system entries. Driving too fast on a winding road and missed a turn......ran head on into an embankment. Of course the driver was drunk and had marijuana in his drug screen. These bad decisions they make are so sad. I'm just glad they didn't take out another driver coming from the opposite direction. Oh, tell Al to skip the hot bath.........feels good initially but makes all the soft tissue injury swell more and then hurts worse. Go with Ice packs to anything that hurts for about 3 days......then the hot bath!

 

[nootka]

Ah, Sandy, darn, too late on the bath.

But yeah, my dad was reading something about young drivers that some aspect of their brains re: judgment and reason especially as it relates to driving doesn't fully mature in some cases til they are 23 or 25 years old, so it makes sense as many young drivers are the cause of bad accidents. I think some of the new laws limiting kids driving privileges til they have had their license a while are a great idea (as in not having large groups of kids riding around together after hours, etc.)

I am curious if the paper will run a story on this or we'll hear how the girl's doing. Our brother in law was killed in a car accident as he was riding along w/a police officer since he was in training, and someone pulled out in front of their police cruiser as they were responding to an alarm at a school. Their lights were on but it was a silent approach. The woman didn't look around well enough and caused them to swerve, they hit another pulled over car and spun out then flipped into the ditch. Bernie's neck was broken at the C-1 vertebra and while he was alive for some time after the accident, trying to get out, he lost consciousness and drowned in the water within several minutes, no doubt due to the spinal injury. It's kind of a sore spot w/me that people are not more cautious and aware of flashing lights/emergency vehicles. They get to eating, drinking, talking on the phone, putting on their makeup and whatever, and forget to be alert to road hazards.

Liz

 

[qtrrae]

nootka,

Special prayers for your friend, Al! Glad to hear that he is going to be okay!