Headon

From: Michael Hill (michaelh@tol-tx.com)
Story type: NDE
Location: Mexia, Texas
Source: Form Submission

"HEADON"

This is the story of my accident that happened September 30, 1993

October 15, 1993

On Sept. 30, 1993 about 6:30pm I decided to go to Waco, Texas......a town about 40-45 miles west of Mexia, to look at some cars. I got in all ready to go, put on my seatbelt, something told me to put on my seatbelt because I hardly ever travel that far alone, I left the house going down a small bridge toward hiway 84. I turned left onto 84 and was all prepared for my trip to Waco.

I was kinda in a hurry because I had to be at work at 8:00am, I was traveling about 50-55mph going down the hill, entering the bridge that crosses over Lake Mexia. As I got all the way on the bridge this brown ford pickup meeting me headon came over into my lane, I said this guy is not passing anyone whats going on. I slowed down and pulled over to my shoulder, this brown ford pickup did the same, I pulled back in my lane so did he. My reactions was this guy is playing chicken and will get back over in his lane.

No matter what lane I was in he kept coming at me headon. This time I pulled over on my shoulder hitting the rail making sparks fly everywhere, here I am sideswiping this bridgerail with this brown ford coming at me headon thinking he'll move over any minute. I am saying he will move before anything happens this guy want hit me headon, hell move I just know he will.

The next thing I saw was 2 square head lights & a brown ford in my face, I grab the steering wheel with both hands and said OH MY GOD this cant be happening to me.......Crash, I hear glass breaking, metal being ripped & torn apart, Here I am saying will I live over this, what will happen to me, what will happen to all my personal belongings, what will happen to my class ring, who will get it?......

From the point of impact I was knocked back 97 feet, he hit me and went airborne 138 feet and came down bouncing around, the truck finally comes to a rest, he jumps out and trys to run from the Limestone County Cops & State Troopers.

The next thing I know is Mexia Fire Dept is here trying to cut me from the car with the "Jaws of Life". Mexia Fire Chief Aaron T, Clay , Johnny, Ricky, and many others were helping in my rescue. My biggest fear was the car catching on fire. I kept hollering & screaming please get me out my legs are broken & hurting. The steering wheel was lying in my backseat. My chest broke the steering wheel. The motor was where the dash was supposed to be, the dash was under my chin. I kept telling them to hurry and get that thing sticking in my leg. I later found out that it was my bones sticking out.

Again hear is metal tearing, glass breaking, but this time ti was the "Jaws of Life". I pulled my glasses off and handed them to Glenda F. The next thing they tell me they are cutting off the roof. Finally after about 2 hours and 30 minutes. I was freed my pile of metal rubbage.

I passed out. Ricky slapped me and said talk to me. I came to once again. I was in the ambulance prepared for my trip to Parkview Regional Hospital in Mexia, it was about 7 or 8 miles from the accident site, That 7 or 8 miles seemed like 2 or 3 hundred miles. My legs had some real tight air pants,

Finally after we arrived at the hospital they asked which hospital I wanted to go to, I said Hillcrest Baptist Medical Center in Waco. Mae S asked me if there was anyone she could call, I told her yes please call my parents & she said do you know the number, I told her to try 562-5659. She ask do you have a son named Michael Hill & my moma said yes the nurse said hes been in an accident. They came right up. My dad drove out to Forest Glade to tell my aunt & uncle. they came up there also, while all these people were either up there or on there way up there they were stablizing me for a trip to Waco.

My moma called Prontos Food Store to get Margie Lathams phone number, they told her that Marci called her, Margie and Jere were outside and they left for the hospital, The made it up there and I told Jere to get rid of your Ford Tempo, The put me in the ambulance this guy came up to me and said Hi my name is Michael C I will your driver. Shelly W & Ella J was the attendants in the ambulance, I kept telling them I was falling off my stretcher. No it is when we make turns. I told them to tell the driver to hurry, but take it easy on the bumps. They kept in touch with Hillcrest the whole trip, that trip to Waco seemed like it took years to get there.

Finally we made it to Hillcrest Emergency Room there was people coming from wverywhere to take care of me, I lay in the emergency room for alittle while I went in surgery at 1:30 and came out about 8:30 the next morning, My family was up all night long waiting to see if i made it. Drs came in and ask if I would take blood because i lost 2/3 of my blood. I said to would rather lay here and die before I take blood.

I was in recovery room for along time, and then to ICU I went, here I was for 2 weeks, the nurses kept making me mad not taking my ace bandages off. But they were only doing what was best for me. I had so many visitors that I hardly knew half of them. I would close my eyes and my family would say are you alright, I would tell them if they didnt shut up I was going to tell Paul to make make yall get out. I was working at Prontos one day in ICU catching people shoplifting right & left.

Finally after 2 weeks in ICU I was put in a room. Room 344 with Mr. Frank S a Robinson firefighter. In this room I spent one night and my bed broker it wouldnt raise or lower, so i was finally removed and placed in a private room 351. My mom put up all my cards on the shelf that I had received. My stay in this room was a real comfortable one. Donald was my daytime nurse he took extra care of me, there was Delores, Roxana, Kathy, Rachel & many more.

Finally I started therpy and Kim was coming to my room to get me on the tilt table. She would take me to the therpy room and stand me up on a tilt table so i could look outside. After this it was to the wheelchair. Jodi, Troy, Larry helped alot. Jodi & Troy came to my room for me to get to eat lunch & would come back later to help me get back to bed. Finally on Oct 15 I got in my wheelchair & Rachel unplugged my ivy, I got to go out in the hall and set, Finally she moved me down by the nurses station by the elivators, I was watching people as they were coming & going. I was up about 2 1/2 hours, Jodi & Troy came to help me get back in bed. I was doing good getting in the wheelchair, but getting back in bed as a different story. As I lay here in Hillcrest Baptist Medical Center I didnt have a dry eye.

This is a day before I get to go home, Saturday morning the Dr came in and said heres the plan another session of therpy and we will go from there, This time Cindy came in and put the belt on me and said it time to get up and then back to bed. up and in the chair I was & then back to bed I was, I was determined that I was going home because they had told me if i didnt do good I probably wouldnt get to come home yet. They called the ambulance people in Waco that was supposed to bring me home, they couldnt do it without $205 up front here i am with broken legs, no income, no money and these people want $205 to bring me home. They call Mexia Fire Dept, they can take me over there, but they cant take someone out of another ambulance area. Finally I told them to call Limestone County Transit Van, they couldnt do it, but they would see if they could get another driver to come over there, I was up for alongtime, they had taken my ivy out that morning so I was exploring the halls and the hospital while they were waiting one Tim H to come pick me up.

On the way back the bridgerails hurt me, I busted out in tears cause we passed a little white ford tempo, we came to the Lake Mexia Bridge, I was histerial, I finally calmed down We got in town and I seen my car, I took it easier than I did the bridge, As you read this story just stop and think as I was writing this story it was like reliving the whole accident over again. This was one of the hardest things to do was sit here and write this tragic accident story. I was only seconds from death, If you haven't seen my pictures of my car you need to see them. Because if I had not put on my seatbelt I would not be here to write this story today, So please let me tell you this miracles do happen, and seatbelts do save lives. So please buckleup if not your only seconds from death

Love Always
Michael