bitjockey (bum)

This has been quite the experience for me. Some background... last Friday night I was driving home from a friend's house, myself and a coworker in the car. Turned right on an on-ramp, went about 50% throttle, and as I shifted into 3rd everything went dark... when I came to the side airbags were off, car was filled with smoke and I was crushed up against the center console. I climbed out the window and was amazed to see that my coworker didn't even have a scratch on him.

Results: severe concussion, two fractured ribs, ruptured spleen and various bruises and bumps. Spent a week in the hospital after they removed my spleen, just got home yesterday. Nice to recover in my own bed. I have this to show off now:

<img src="http://files.rcrholdings.com/a4nomore/scar.jpg">

The car did its job. The guardrail post that I ended up in hit squarely in the driver's B-pillar... pushing it 14-16" into the center of the car. If it had hit 10" closer to the A-pillar in the center of the door, I don't think I'd be here today.

<img src="http://files.rcrholdings.com/a4nomore/side2.jpg">

The side airbags deployed, the fronts did not. I like this, as instead of just detonating everything it could, it only set off what was needed. Air bag burns aren't fun. The drivers seat was crushed, probably 4" thinner than before.

<img src="http://files.rcrholdings.com/a4nomore/airbags.jpg">

Suprisingly I don't have any head or neck pain... everything was localized to my torso and lower abdomen.

I wasn't speeding, racing, wasted, etc... just driving normally. A real wake up call that we are piloting cars with 3300lbs of kinetic energy at great speeds... WEAR YOUR SEAT BELT! I got really lucky here... glad to be alive.

Thank you all for your support, wishes, care packages, thoughts and prayers... it really means a lot. The car is obviously totaled, depending on what I work out with Progressive here in the next few weeks I will probably have some parts for sale... I will be back soon, in something with an extra turbo and two extra cylinders, don't worry. If you've left me voicemails in the past few days, I'll return them when I can... the Percocet makes it damn hard to put a coherent sentence together. DRIVE SAFELY GUYS

<img src="http://files.rcrholdings.com/a4nomore/frontquarter.jpg">

<img src="http://files.rcrholdings.com/a4nomore/night.jpg">

<img src="http://files.rcrholdings.com/a4nomore/rearquarter.jpg">

BLKPERL

Good to hear you are recovering

TristanP

Any idea what happened? Something break on the car? Nice scar.

And Ben

Wow glad you are O.K. Did you faint or something?

kenny (dremel)

Yikes. A speedy recovery to you.

RallyVermont

get well soon, and I hope we can meet you in person soon. Hope you liked the crash protection that came in the mail.

Cheers,
Joel

Kingttr

(once hit the guardrail). Ya know what I'm saying? Just from my experience I started to slide and knew right away (so figured he'd remember that) then again things like this happen very fast before you realize it! Looks like the car did a pretty good job though and very relieved to hear he/you is recovering well.

d1rt [A4 Pröjekt]

keep everyone posted on how stuff goes with insurance and stuff. Ill be interested to see how it turns out. Good luck. I was in the same spot, or was, 2 months ago. Im goin gto try to hook up and S4 also. B5 obviously. So good luck to both of us getting back into the game. Look out S4 forums. Later

grey-2002-ar-6sp

Get better soon dude!

EDness

glad you're ok!