It's just after 4pm on Sunday and Jeremy and I are heading home from a great afternoon at Albion. I had another fun day cheering on friends and yelling at my husband from the Feed Zone.
I am in the passenger seat gazing out the window. I look around to see what has Jeremy so freaked out and see a white car flying through the air into the opposite ditch. Thankfully, we are a few cars back from the accident and our involvement is only as bystanders. Jeremy pulls the car over and calls 911, while I get out of the car to see if anyone needs help.
My first aid hasn't been recertified in years, but it all came back to me. Assessing the scene, I walked by a couple of cars whose occupants are okay, but are trapped in their cars. Unfortunately, a motorcyclist was involved and hit a car head on. She flew off her bike into the ditch. Her friend, who was unhurt was standing over her in shock when I arrived. "I know some first aid", I told him.
I spent 45 minutes in the ditch with her until the paramedics were able to get a back board on her and carry her out to a helicopter. In that time, she went from minimally breathing to needing CPR.
While stabilizing her at the side of the road, her friend tells me through tears that they were driving home from a charity ride when a car had swayed into oncoming traffic. None of us knew why, perhaps the driver had a medical emergency of his own that caused the accident, but more than likely it was due to falling asleep, being on a cell phone, or playing with the radio.
We spend so much of our lives driving, that it is easy to forget that we not only hold our lives in our hands, but also of other people out there on the road. This tragedy has reminded me how important it is to give the task at hand 100% focus.
I just learned that the motorcyclist did not make it. My love goes out to her family and friends.
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