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accident- be careful out there

Just thought I'd share a grim story, just as a reminder we are not
invincible. After returning from a w/e away yesterday, I came over a hill on
I-10 about 30 sec after a guy had gone off the road and straight into a
bridge support. By the time I got to him, he had no pulse in one arm, not
much of one in the other, and a neck that was cover in so much blood it was
nearly impossible to get a carotid pulse. Many things went through my mind
as a stood looking at this guy, trying to see if there was anything I and
the others who had stopped could do. It ranged from seeing me and those I
love, in the drivers seat of that car, to wondering where he was going with
his modest luggage in the backseat, to getting AIDS from having blood on my
hands, to literally the smell of blood on  my hands. Now I have seen people
die in hospitals before, but never in such a gruesome fashion. A few things
upset me, apart from the fact that this man had died (perhaps from a heart
attack before leaving the road) an untimely death. The most upsetting thing
to me, was my concern about disease. It delayed me about 30 sec while I
asked someone to get a rag so I could get the blood off of his neck and
check his pulse- he had none). Finally I decided, hell, he is in his
sixites, the chances of AIDS....... Sad I felt that way, but I guess a
genuine concern. I knew there was nothing we could do, his body was
trembling, and I knew the random irregular sighs from his unconcious body
were not viable breathing efforts. What the hell could I do for this guy if
he was alive? He was jammed in an impossible place in an impossible
position. I am sure he had no idea I held his hand, but that was what I did
until his gasps and shaking stopped.
I am not sure if an airbag would have saved him (he was in an older model
generic domestic car), and to be honest I did not even notice if he was
wearing a seatbelt. There was no engine, there was no engine bay. Had me
thinking, however, time to get a first aid kit in the car with gloves, time
to get a  cellular phone, time to get rid of this 88 Bronco II, time to get
rid of the CSi, time to get a newer bimmer with an airbag,
One thing is for sure, it has slowed me down, and I guess the whole point of
this diatribe is not to get flamed for a non-BMW related topic, but just to
let it out, and remind people to take care. I am sitting here debating on
whether to post this, it is not meant to be melodramatic, it is not asking
for sympathy, it is just to share an experience that has made me sit up, and
realize life IS short, lets enjoy it. We learn from experience, in this
case, from someones else's unfortunate perspective. 
Cheers
Blair

Blair E. Robertson
University of South Alabama
Biomedical Sciences Department