YOU KNOW WHAT ERKS ME

Monday, June 25, 2007

"That's not real"

13 year old loses her feet during Six Flags Amusement ride. Article highlights others were screaming, but the young lady was sitting there in shock and calm. FULL STORY

I know what it is like to witness something so horrible.

I was so young. One my way to pick up dinner for me and my hunny at the time. I was driving back so excited to see him. Summer night music going. In my new convertible driving the country road home. When in my head lights a man was crouched in the middle of the road. I swerved sharply to miss him and turned my head in time to see him jump up in front of the headlights of the girl driving behind me.

What just happened? Her car flew across the median onto oncoming traffic and seemed to keep going until it abruptly stopped. I pulled over and ran to her. She was running in circles and her friend on the ground just rocking back and forth. I looked at her car that was almost totaled. I tried to hold her still. "I didn't see him" she cried. I realized then what had happened.
"I didn't either" I held her close as she cried for her mother. I wrapped her in a blanket from my car. "Stay here. I will call her"

It was as if I couldn't run fast enough. The lights to the local gas were close but seemed so far. I could hear my heart pounding in my head and every time my feet hit the pavement it felt like I would fall. Then I found him. A middle aged man, stripped naked, missing his arms and legs. As cars approached I could see his blond hair shining in their lights and then the blood on the road. I screamed and in that instant I heard her scream again from down the road.
I ran into the store begging for an ambulance. "he's been hit, please please call 911, you have to, he'll die" I stood there trembling and waited for them to call. When I knew the call went through, not realizing what happened I said "I am going to hold him until they come" I thought of how scared he must have been.

I ran again up the hill and to the highway. There he was. Laying there in the headlights of another car. "That's not real, that's not real" I muttered. I looked up to see a man running towards me "aw baby...no no no no" his voice became distant as I seemed to float above everything and then everything went black.


4 comments:

EJL said...

It took alot for me to share that story. As I sat here typing, I had to stop and cry. I drive past that spot every once in a while. There are always dried flowers tied to a pole.

I don't know what he was looking for. No one ever found out. He had just bought a lotto ticket from the store I called 911 at.

I spoke to the teen that hit him that night about 2 weeks later. Somehow she found out who I was. I didn't know what to say when she said thank you. I wished her well.

I kept thinking, it could of been me that had hit him.

I'll never get over it. I keep remembering how surreal it all was. And when I picture it in my head, it still doesn't seem real.

e.Craig Crawford said...

That's a horrible experience to have endured. And, it must have weighed on your mind somewhat because here you are sharing this gruesome story. I think you really needed to do that, Ellie.

Ed & Jeanne said...

Ellie, I know your feeling. I was with a friend (he was driving) and we were heading up a gravel road from a campground and four mountain bike racers were coming down and we all met around a corner. Three of the bikes got over to the side but the fourth one hit our vehicle head on. We had to watch somebody die right in front of us. That was 16 years ago and I think about him almost every day even still.

EJL said...

It took me a long time to get over it. I couldn't watch a scary movie in forever.
I think that it is weird how I really thought it wasn't real. I guess in today's society we become numb to tragic events b/c it's constantly on tv and in the movies. Like and everyday occurence.
I don't think about it much anymore. But when the girl had lost her legs in the six flags accident, it brought back the memory. I couldn't believe how I cried again thinking about it.
There relly is nothing like watching someone die in front of you. Something I would never wish on anyone ever.