October 20, 2018
I was on a lease in Star at the time. October had been incredibly wet that year. I was hunting alone as I was the only bow hunter on our lease. Our water well was out and I had tracked mud all in the camper from the night before. I had a huge bodied (for Mills County), old 8 point I had patterned that I was going to kill that afternoon. After an uneventful morning hunt, I decided to head into Goldthwaite.
I ate lunch at Peabody’s, grabbed some jugs of water, a mop, and a few other things to tidy up camp. About 2 o’clock, I head back East on 84 towards Star for the evening sit. It’s a beautiful day. I’ve got the cruise control set at 75 and just enjoying the drive and solitude. Right before County Road 230 there is a little bridge crossing Middle Bennett Creek.
I go over the bridge then the road goes up and bends to the left. As I start going up, a car crests the hill coming right at me. She’s so far in my lane that her driver’s side tires are on MY shoulder of the road. Remember I said that October was very wet this year? Seems like a million things went through my mind in an instant.
***in my mind*** There’s not enough time to slam on the brakes (75MPH Highway and we are CLOSE). She’s in a little car and I’ll plow right through her or launch over the top of her car. Can’t swerve to the right. The ditches are so wet I’m for sure going to flip. GO LEFT!
So I swerve to the left. All the way on to her shoulder of the road. In what all seems like slow motion, I start to pass her and can see her looking down at something in her car. We get basically side by side and she looks up and does the “OH $H!T”!!!! I lose her in my peripheral, breathe for a second at the close call, and then BAM! I’m immediately in the ditch and start flipping. Everything in my truck seems suspended in mid air. I distinctly remember one of the jugs of water I purchased earlier floating over and bursting all over my face. My truck finally comes to a stop.
I’m upside down. (Seatbelts work by they way) Truck is still running. My first thought is I don’t want it to catch on fire. I put the truck in park and turn the key off. Before I undo my seatbelt I say to myself “this is gonna suck”. I unclick the seatbelt and fall to the roof of my truck. I was right, it sucked. I look for daylight and find a window to crawl out of. By the time I get out, there are already people that have stopped and called 911. They check on me. Amazingly I’m okay. I ask about the other driver and they say she is okay too.
About 2 months prior I had purchased an iWatch. I got the cellular version because I hate taking my phone to the gym to listen to music. Well my phone got launched in the accident, but this iWatch was still attached to my wrist. First call was to my wife. She was pregnant with our second child at the time and out of town at my in-laws. “Babe, I was in a car accident, the truck is totaled but I’m okay. I know that’s not enough info right now, but I have to go.” That certainly wasn’t enough as she called me 3-4 more times in a row. At this point, I was talking with the sheriff’s deputy and EMS. Fortunately, I have friends only a couple of miles away that were hunting their property. They came right over and were a true blessing. I had others that offered tons of love and support. It was many hours that I was there with Mills County and DPS.
Thankfully I had no broken bones, but I did suffer some nerve damage. It also dang near broke my spirit. I questioned why God would save me. I didn’t feel worthy. It was about a year of PT and counseling before I was right again. About 18 months before everything was settled with insurance.
The girl that hit me was a freshman at Howard Payne. She was heading back to school. She was also texting and driving and admitted to it. Very fortunate that neither of us lost our lives.
If you’ve read up to this point, this is a reminder to not text and drive and of the mercy and grace of the Lord Almighty.
Here’s some pictures of the accident.
The window I crawled out of.
The missing tire was about 100 yards away and over the fence
Her car
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
I was on a lease in Star at the time. October had been incredibly wet that year. I was hunting alone as I was the only bow hunter on our lease. Our water well was out and I had tracked mud all in the camper from the night before. I had a huge bodied (for Mills County), old 8 point I had patterned that I was going to kill that afternoon. After an uneventful morning hunt, I decided to head into Goldthwaite.
I ate lunch at Peabody’s, grabbed some jugs of water, a mop, and a few other things to tidy up camp. About 2 o’clock, I head back East on 84 towards Star for the evening sit. It’s a beautiful day. I’ve got the cruise control set at 75 and just enjoying the drive and solitude. Right before County Road 230 there is a little bridge crossing Middle Bennett Creek.
I go over the bridge then the road goes up and bends to the left. As I start going up, a car crests the hill coming right at me. She’s so far in my lane that her driver’s side tires are on MY shoulder of the road. Remember I said that October was very wet this year? Seems like a million things went through my mind in an instant.
***in my mind*** There’s not enough time to slam on the brakes (75MPH Highway and we are CLOSE). She’s in a little car and I’ll plow right through her or launch over the top of her car. Can’t swerve to the right. The ditches are so wet I’m for sure going to flip. GO LEFT!
So I swerve to the left. All the way on to her shoulder of the road. In what all seems like slow motion, I start to pass her and can see her looking down at something in her car. We get basically side by side and she looks up and does the “OH $H!T”!!!! I lose her in my peripheral, breathe for a second at the close call, and then BAM! I’m immediately in the ditch and start flipping. Everything in my truck seems suspended in mid air. I distinctly remember one of the jugs of water I purchased earlier floating over and bursting all over my face. My truck finally comes to a stop.
I’m upside down. (Seatbelts work by they way) Truck is still running. My first thought is I don’t want it to catch on fire. I put the truck in park and turn the key off. Before I undo my seatbelt I say to myself “this is gonna suck”. I unclick the seatbelt and fall to the roof of my truck. I was right, it sucked. I look for daylight and find a window to crawl out of. By the time I get out, there are already people that have stopped and called 911. They check on me. Amazingly I’m okay. I ask about the other driver and they say she is okay too.
About 2 months prior I had purchased an iWatch. I got the cellular version because I hate taking my phone to the gym to listen to music. Well my phone got launched in the accident, but this iWatch was still attached to my wrist. First call was to my wife. She was pregnant with our second child at the time and out of town at my in-laws. “Babe, I was in a car accident, the truck is totaled but I’m okay. I know that’s not enough info right now, but I have to go.” That certainly wasn’t enough as she called me 3-4 more times in a row. At this point, I was talking with the sheriff’s deputy and EMS. Fortunately, I have friends only a couple of miles away that were hunting their property. They came right over and were a true blessing. I had others that offered tons of love and support. It was many hours that I was there with Mills County and DPS.
Thankfully I had no broken bones, but I did suffer some nerve damage. It also dang near broke my spirit. I questioned why God would save me. I didn’t feel worthy. It was about a year of PT and counseling before I was right again. About 18 months before everything was settled with insurance.
The girl that hit me was a freshman at Howard Payne. She was heading back to school. She was also texting and driving and admitted to it. Very fortunate that neither of us lost our lives.
If you’ve read up to this point, this is a reminder to not text and drive and of the mercy and grace of the Lord Almighty.
Here’s some pictures of the accident.
The window I crawled out of.
The missing tire was about 100 yards away and over the fence
Her car
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
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