Chevy Van Accident San Jose California
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Story: Date: July 23 2000 around 4 in the morning
Make: Chevy Astro Van
Where: San Jose, California South-bound 101
My sister and myself were asleep in the back of the van, the seats folded down to make a bed. Neither of us were seatbelted at the time. we were going home, we were a long way from home. My sister had been drinking, so she wasn't driving, Our friend Steve, was driving, we struck a big van that had been stopped in the fast lane at around 60-85 mph, a man had been changing a tire at the time, the man was tossed aside, and the other van was pushed about 800 feet. Apparently when everything stoped moving I had landed on top of my sister.
Steve was trapped in-between the steering column and the seat with the seat belt.... my sister found a saw then proceeded to cut the seat belt off. I opened the sliding door of our van and steped outside, I saw the man our van hit..... he wasn't moving
So I decided to take a closer look, but I couldn't because my leg was in so much pain, I had to lie down. At the time, I didn't know where the hell we were. I only knew that my leg hurt and i couldn't walk on it.
Later on I learned that my sister had broken veretbrae. My
sister is now pending back surgery. Steve currently has his mouth
wired shut. He also suffered broken, cracked, and bruised ribs.
I got my cast off on the 31st I had torn ligaments in my foot
and I have "ptsd"
Editors Note: We received and update to Car-Accidents.com
from Leland on May 27,2001
It's been almost a year since it happened,
It was exactly 3 months after my 20th birthday
I't was a start to a whole series of life changing events,
My sister, never needed surgery for her back, and it healed up quite well. As for the driver of the Van, I haven't Seen him for a long time, last time i saw him, his mouth was still wired shut, and that was December I think, My leg healed good as new, and i can do everything i used to be able to do before the accident
Reflecting on the next few days following the accident,
In the morning after they released me from the hospital ( i was only in there for about an hour)
I had to wait in the "waiting room" while my parents drove all the way from my house, about a 6-7 hour drive or so, They gave me some clothes to wear, i thanked them because most of my clothes had been cut up so all that remained were scraps, i actually asked the paramedics if they were going to cut off my boots, they didn't they did cut my laces off though, i remember i kept saying that they needed to help that guy that got hit, i talked to the man who called 911
I thanked him as they Gurnyed me into the ambulance
Whoever you are, I cannot thank you enough.
I related my story to Everyone i met in the waiting room, I was the only one waiting to leave, I lost my cigerattes, and i got a few from a nurse, and i talked and i thought a lot of what just happened, trying to comprehend it myself.
A real nice lady went to go buy me food, but before she got back my parents arrived and i left,
Thank you too, whoever you might be.
I kept flashing back, and i still do, about it, i could still smell the burnt rubber/persperation scent Still clinging to me, I hobbled around on a cane, I had Torn all the tendons in my right foot, that night we got a hotel room at a Hospital rate, after i layed down, from the events within the past 12 hours, i just fell asleep imediately, I kept asking myself why i was still Alive, fortunately i didn't dream of the accident that night, most things were a blur.. and I probably got the parts of the story out of order,
Leland
"The only constant is change."
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