Wreck In Troy Alabama

I had gotten off work in Dothan, AL and decided to do a little geocaching before going home. After the last geocache, I started home. I made my way to Troy, AL and from there I was going to hit highway 82 and go through Eufaula, AL and on up hwy 431 to home.
I got to Troy and stopped for gas so I wouldn’t have to worry about gas once I got on the back roads to Eufaula.

I pulled out and and started back up hwy 231 – one of the (if not the) main throughway of Troy. Troy, by the way, is home for Troy University – The Troy Trojans, stopped at the next traffic light and then maybe 300 yards from the traffic light, the next thing I know I see a small Toyota pickup – I think it was a Toyota – pull right out in front of me. She was so close I didn’t have time to do anything but grab the steering wheel and brace myself.

I was probably pretty close to the speed limit of 50 MPH.
I hit right around here driver’s side rear tire. The airbag deployed and and with the force of the impact, my hand was knocked off the steering wheel and into the windshield (I later learned this is what happened by the abrasions on my arm and the shape of the center “Ford” logo on the steering wheel).
After the impact, I was stunned but was alert enough to guide my truck (2007 F-150 extended cab) in to the nearest parking lot which happened to be a Dairy Queen. I stopped the truck in a parking place and turned off the engine. The only thing I could feel was my arm hurting. I got out of the truck and tried to do a check of my injuries, but the pain in my left forearm kept me from really doing a good check.
I was bent over in the corner of the parking lot holding my arm and seeing how bad that injury was. It looked like it had gone through a meat grinder but wasn’t bleeding that bad.
When a paramedic got to the scene they checked on the other driver first – I guess because my truck really couldn’t be seen from their location in the highway.

A paramedic finally came over to me and started asking questions. I showed him my arm and at the time I thought my wrist was broken.
Up until this moment, I had not notice the windshield that had some pretty bad cracks on it. The only thing I could think that happened was my head hit it and caused the cracks. I felt my head and didn’t feel any bumps or blood – it didn’t even hurt, but hey, the evidence was staring me in the face!
When the paramedic asked me if my head hit the windshield, I said yes. BIG Mistake!! I was immediately put on a board with a neck brace and then on a stretcher and put in the another ambulance that had arrived at the scene and rushed me to Troy Medical Center just down the road.
I think the accident happened around 2:30 or maybe 3:00. A little after 6:00, I was walking out of the hospital and getting into my wife’s Explorer to take me back to where my truck was.

Here are a few pictures of the damage to my truck:




The next few are at the accident site:




The accident was the other person’s fault – at least that’s what the police officer told me in the ER and that there was a witness to the accident.
I learned something though when I went to the ER. With all the excitement and pain from the accident, I couldn’t remember hardly any of my medical information.

I have put an Emergency Medical Information app on my Blackberry and put it at the very top of my listed apps on the home screen of my phone. So, if next time I can’t remember or am unconscious, they can get my information from my phone – at least enough to get started treating me.

I’m waiting to get the police report so I can start getting my truck fixed. I can’t STAND having my truck looking the way it does!!!!