Got a text late last night from my Dad and he told me that my younger sister was in a very bad car accident and was at a trauma center in Philadelphia.

Got to the hospital this morning and my sister had come out of surgery to relieve pressure on her spinal cord and is stable. She looks like absolute hell but can move her hands and feet and is still alive thank God.

She works less than a mile from where she lives and had apparently run back to her house to let her dog back in or something, and on the way back to work failed to put her seatbelt on, and got T-boned really badly and was ejected out of her car.

She is 46, and I just cannot believe that she did not have her seatbelt on but she made the near fatal mistake that “it’s OK, I’m close”. I was told by my nephew that an eyewitness said she had a green light at this intersection.

Well, this is a very painful lesson for her, I guarantee you she will never make that mistake again. I’m just hoping that she’s able to regain most of her mobility and function in time, the doctors told us that it would be months of recovery.

And of course the other guy did have his seatbelt on and was fine, but he is already claiming “mechanical failure“ to explain why he nearly killed my sister.

"Mechanical failure" = didn't apply the brakes while staring at a text message...

Thank God that she's still with you and not worse. And, good that she has eyewitness. Reminds me of my T-bone crash several years ago. Some stupid ass in their Expedition ran the red light and crashed into me (Camry) so hard knocking my eyeglasses out the window, and the car ended up about 20 yards from the POI. Car was total, but I walked away with no serious injuries, only minor ache and stiffness for a few days. No doubt the seat belt saved me.

I might start the car first or get that seat belt on first but I never put it in gear without that belt on. Besides, it’s a $50.00 fine to be stupid.

I like my seatbelt - I can't drive the car if I am not in the drivers seat.

Good to hear your sister is stable and mobile. Could have been much worse.

quote:

Originally posted by recoatlift:
I might start the car first or get that seat belt on first but I never put it in gear without that belt on. Besides, it’s a $50.00 fine to be stupid.

I always put mine on, even when just going to the local Stop 'n' Rob (only 1 blaock away).

flashguy

Lucky she's with us, praying for a quick recovery. She learned a costly lesson, thank God it's not too costly of a lesson.

Glad to hear she's alive and that it looks promising for a full recovery.

Mechanical failure or not the other driver is going to own it unless it happens to be a new vehicle or a recent repair that failed. Most people that state that though are doing it to avoid a ticket.

I've seen quite a few accidents which would have been minor -> moderate inconveniences injury wise turn into serious injuries or fatals because the driver or passenger wasn't wearing a seatbelt. Including a semi crash where the driver fell out of the vehicle and proceeded to be run over by his own semi during the crash.

Good to hear she’s going to eventually be ok.....as a fireman/paramedic for the past three or so decades I’m not sure how many crashes I’ve been to with ppl ejected...but I can say with no hesitation that if it’s been 100 of them 99 were fatal.....I can’t recall one that survived actually. Prayers for a speedy as possible recovery!

That really sucks. Praying for her full recovery.

What gcode said.... Many of my fatality crashes were ejections. Often, they were ejected during a rollover and their own car crushed them.

Glad to hear she is doing better.

Yeah seatbelts save. Its amazing to me that people dont wear their seatbelts still. I find that many people do not know to adjust their seatbelts and it hits them uncomfortably so they dont wear it and other people, especially from the sticks just dont.

Glad your sisters still with us. I could give everyone nightmares but I always worry that someone will read one of the descriptions and recognize their loved ones tales. None the less wear your damn seatbelt people.

Glad to hear your sister is going to recover.

Not to derail the thread, but how are people driving without seat belts? My car starts beeping nonstop before I can even get out of the driveway if I don't have my seat belt on.

Prayers for her recovery.
When I was in high school I pretty much never wore my seat belt. Not sure why just didn’t. Lucky I was as I have never been in a wreck without one.

Wishing your sister a speedy and full recovery.

Buckle up everyone.

Glad she survived, I never worked a wreck where the ejected person lived.

She learned an important lesson. Hopefully the only lingering issue will be the lesson learned.

Wishing your sister a full recovery, @PASig!

Short story of my own. Many years ago I was arbitrary about wearing a seatbelt. (This was way pre-airbag, or even shoulder harness, days.) One day, headed up the freeway, I was involved in a multi-car chain collision. Luckily, I just happened to be wearing my seatbelt at the time. Had I not been, I almost certainly would've impacted the steering wheel, at least, and probably the windshield.

It was a collision from which I walked away, but my car was totaled.

I haven't once failed to wear restraining gear in an automobile or truck since then.