Been there, done that.
Tiger Woods really is lucky to be alive after his horrific car accident.
What went on at about 7 a.m. on Tuesday morning on a notoriously treacherous road in California is still under investigation, but the golfer really is quite lucky that he escaped this with just some major injuries to his legs.
He could have very well have been killed, so although his injuries are major, he still has a heartbeat.
Witnesses state that he was speeding on this road near Rancho Palos Verdes, and that he lost control of his car, and it rolled over off the road, nearly crushing him inside.
Police needed the jaws of life to get him out of the car, but he was conscious when they got him out of his vehicle.
He was rushed to the hospital had surgery, and hopefully will make a full recovery.
And based on his past history, you just hope that alcohol was not involved, and it simply was a speeding accident.
When I heard about what had happened, I immediately flashed back to nearly seven years ago, the fateful day that my family and I were involved in our own rollover accident.
Unlike Woods’ accident, the situation we were in on May 10, 2014 was caused by the negligence of another driver, but again, it was caused by speed.
The other driver, a kid who was hell bent to get onto the road during a dark and rainy day, never saw us, went through a stop sign, and hit us with such force that we rolled over and ended up upside down on the side of the road.
Here is my account of what happened, which I reported back in Rant #1,205, dated May 10, 2014. The Rant was called “Happy To Be Alive,” and let me tell you, we thanked our lucky stars that we got out of this thing in one piece, and Woods, even though he is much more banged up than we were, should also be thankful that he still has a heartbeat.
Anyway, here is what I flashbacked to yesterday when I heard the news about Woods’ accident:
“My family and I were driving along a major thoroughfare in our town on Saturday afternoon, going north on this main street, which is mainly residential where we were driving.
It was raining, and I had my lights and wipers on.
We were driving so that my son could fill out a job application at one of the local hardware stores. We got a tip that the place was hiring, so we were en route there.
Driving along, I hear my wife scream out, "Watch out!"
A car coming from one of the connecting side streets hit our car flush on the driver's side. The other car was going so fast, and the impact was so great, that it tumbled my car over on its roof, and we skidded to a halt on the side of the road.
Somehow, my wife got out of the car amidst the car turned upside down with glass all over the place. An ambulance and police came almost immediately, and they helped my son out of the car. He was hysterical and shouting, his adrenaline at full tilt, to the point where a fireman literally had to take him down.
But I was still in the car, upside down, still attached to the car in my seat by my seat belt. The EMTs, police and firemen tried to get me out of the car, but when I got my bearings, I was able to free myself from the seat. I moved over to the passenger door, and they put me on a stretcher and immobilized my head and body.
Evidently what happened is that the person in the other car, a kid of 24 or so, came right from the connecting street, never stopping at the stop sign on the street, and barreled into us, never seeing us until he hit us.
My family and I were taken to the local medical center, and except for some bruises, cuts and scrapes, we are OK. My wife's hand is pretty ripped up, but no broken bones. My son is OK, and I came through it pretty well. My neck hurts, and I have a bump on my forehead.”
Yes, pretty horrific indeed.
The aftermath was pretty bad, too, as I had a slight case of PTSD on top of the fact that I needed to pay for a new car to replace the one that was totaled in the accident.
I was also presented with 15 percent responsibility for the accident, even thought the accident was not caused by me at all; insurance said that since I was there, at that very moment, that I had to have some accountability for the crash happening.
That is how insurance companies work, and that is another story for another time.
But whatever happened, we healed pretty quickly, I bought a new car, and I put the accident behind me as quickly as I could.
Tiger Woods must do the same thing, but whether he can play golf again or not is another story, what with major injuries to his legs that required surgery.
Cars are a wonderful thing to have, but thousands of people each year get into accidents because of negligence behind the wheel.
This is not a toy that you are piloting, it is a vehicle that can get you where you have to go, and it can also kill or maim when it is not used properly.
Woods’ career as a golfer is secondary to the rest of his life, and happily, he will live to tell all of us what happened yesterday morning if he so chooses.
He will come out of this bruised and maybe a little broken, but he will come out of this whole.
Some people are not so lucky.
I remember another great athlete, Roy Campanella, the catcher for the Brooklyn Dodgers, who was in his own horrific car accident in 1958 on an icy road in Glen Cove, Long Island, and while he lived many years after the accident, not only was his career over, but most importantly, the accident left him paralyzed, confined to a wheelchair for the rest of his life.
The Hall of Famer, who had broken his neck in the accident, lived a productive life afterward, but the last 35 years of his life was spent in a wheelchair.
Let’s all hope that Woods’ fate is better than that, that he gets out of this and is not only whole, but is able to golf again.
Like I said, been there, done that.
Tiger Woods really is lucky to be alive after his horrific car accident.
What went on at about 7 a.m. on Tuesday morning on a notoriously treacherous road in California is still under investigation, but the golfer really is quite lucky that he escaped this with just some major injuries to his legs.
He could have very well have been killed, so although his injuries are major, he still has a heartbeat.
Witnesses state that he was speeding on this road near Rancho Palos Verdes, and that he lost control of his car, and it rolled over off the road, nearly crushing him inside.
Police needed the jaws of life to get him out of the car, but he was conscious when they got him out of his vehicle.
He was rushed to the hospital had surgery, and hopefully will make a full recovery.
And based on his past history, you just hope that alcohol was not involved, and it simply was a speeding accident.
When I heard about what had happened, I immediately flashed back to nearly seven years ago, the fateful day that my family and I were involved in our own rollover accident.
Unlike Woods’ accident, the situation we were in on May 10, 2014 was caused by the negligence of another driver, but again, it was caused by speed.
The other driver, a kid who was hell bent to get onto the road during a dark and rainy day, never saw us, went through a stop sign, and hit us with such force that we rolled over and ended up upside down on the side of the road.
Here is my account of what happened, which I reported back in Rant #1,205, dated May 10, 2014. The Rant was called “Happy To Be Alive,” and let me tell you, we thanked our lucky stars that we got out of this thing in one piece, and Woods, even though he is much more banged up than we were, should also be thankful that he still has a heartbeat.
Anyway, here is what I flashbacked to yesterday when I heard the news about Woods’ accident:
“My family and I were driving along a major thoroughfare in our town on Saturday afternoon, going north on this main street, which is mainly residential where we were driving.
It was raining, and I had my lights and wipers on.
We were driving so that my son could fill out a job application at one of the local hardware stores. We got a tip that the place was hiring, so we were en route there.
Driving along, I hear my wife scream out, "Watch out!"
A car coming from one of the connecting side streets hit our car flush on the driver's side. The other car was going so fast, and the impact was so great, that it tumbled my car over on its roof, and we skidded to a halt on the side of the road.
Somehow, my wife got out of the car amidst the car turned upside down with glass all over the place. An ambulance and police came almost immediately, and they helped my son out of the car. He was hysterical and shouting, his adrenaline at full tilt, to the point where a fireman literally had to take him down.
But I was still in the car, upside down, still attached to the car in my seat by my seat belt. The EMTs, police and firemen tried to get me out of the car, but when I got my bearings, I was able to free myself from the seat. I moved over to the passenger door, and they put me on a stretcher and immobilized my head and body.
Evidently what happened is that the person in the other car, a kid of 24 or so, came right from the connecting street, never stopping at the stop sign on the street, and barreled into us, never seeing us until he hit us.
My family and I were taken to the local medical center, and except for some bruises, cuts and scrapes, we are OK. My wife's hand is pretty ripped up, but no broken bones. My son is OK, and I came through it pretty well. My neck hurts, and I have a bump on my forehead.”
Yes, pretty horrific indeed.
The aftermath was pretty bad, too, as I had a slight case of PTSD on top of the fact that I needed to pay for a new car to replace the one that was totaled in the accident.
I was also presented with 15 percent responsibility for the accident, even thought the accident was not caused by me at all; insurance said that since I was there, at that very moment, that I had to have some accountability for the crash happening.
That is how insurance companies work, and that is another story for another time.
But whatever happened, we healed pretty quickly, I bought a new car, and I put the accident behind me as quickly as I could.
Tiger Woods must do the same thing, but whether he can play golf again or not is another story, what with major injuries to his legs that required surgery.
Cars are a wonderful thing to have, but thousands of people each year get into accidents because of negligence behind the wheel.
This is not a toy that you are piloting, it is a vehicle that can get you where you have to go, and it can also kill or maim when it is not used properly.
Woods’ career as a golfer is secondary to the rest of his life, and happily, he will live to tell all of us what happened yesterday morning if he so chooses.
He will come out of this bruised and maybe a little broken, but he will come out of this whole.
Some people are not so lucky.
I remember another great athlete, Roy Campanella, the catcher for the Brooklyn Dodgers, who was in his own horrific car accident in 1958 on an icy road in Glen Cove, Long Island, and while he lived many years after the accident, not only was his career over, but most importantly, the accident left him paralyzed, confined to a wheelchair for the rest of his life.
The Hall of Famer, who had broken his neck in the accident, lived a productive life afterward, but the last 35 years of his life was spent in a wheelchair.
Let’s all hope that Woods’ fate is better than that, that he gets out of this and is not only whole, but is able to golf again.
Like I said, been there, done that.
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