Thought I was dead

Last Monday, the 7th, my daughter and I were driving West on Brown Road in Mesa at about 45 miles an hour - getting ready to cross Center Street.  We were on our way to deliver payroll checks to some employees at a business we have at Brown and Country Club.

We had the green light and were about in the middle of the intersection when I noticed out of the corner of my left eye a car traveling at about 45-50 miles an hour headed North, directly for the driver's side of my Tesla.  I think I tried to swerve right to avoid the impact but am not sure because after I noticed him everything was a blur.  I do remember thinking that I was about to die as the car smashed into my left front door and the air bags deployed.

The next thing I remember is coming to and my daughter screaming at me to wake up.  She thought I was dead or dying.  When I woke up I tried to open my door, but it wouldn't open.  So I ended up crawling over the console and out the passenger side of the front seat with the help of my daughter and a woman who was following us and also saw the other driver run the red light.

Once I was at Banner Desert Hospital the emergency staff took ex-rays and discovered that I had a broken sternum, along with fractured ribs and small cuts and bruises.  I also had bleeding behind my chest wall.

So what's the lesson?  For me the lesson is that we never know what life will bring us. While I was sitting on the curb waiting for the ambulance I was thinking how grateful I was that my daughter survived without too much injury and that I was still alive after such a high-impact collision.

While I'm still somewhat in shock and traumatized, I'm applying the lessons I've learned in the rooms of 12 step recovery.  I'm in acceptance of what happened - and I have deep gratitude that I may enjoy more years of recovery.

Click here to email John