[Leica] We're thankful to be alive in 2008

[gregj.lorenzo at shaw.ca (GREG LORENZO)]

Adam,
 
Thankfully you are both alive if a little beat up! All the rest are just 
material things which can be replaced.
 
The Honda looks to be totaled but I'm glad to see that it did its job of 
keeping you both alive.
 
Best Regards,
 
Greg

----- Original Message -----
From: Adam Bridge <abridge@gmail.com>
Date: Tuesday, January 1, 2008 3:18 pm
Subject: [Leica] We're thankful to be alive in 2008
To: Leica Users Group <lug@leica-users.org>

> My wife and I were involved in a one-car roll-over accident just east
> of Barstow, CA on I-40. Jan may have fallen asleep. When I saw us
> drifting toward the side of the road I said something and she awoke
> with a start, over correct, and we began a series of escalating
> swerves that ended up with us hitting the beginning of an Armco
> barrier which we sheered off, became airborne, and came down having
> turned 360 in the air and some greater amount after we hit the ground.
> We came to rest on the passenger side of the car. Within moments two
> good samaratins with EMT training were helping us. My wife was
> bleeding profusely from a 6 cm cut in the top of her head, she was
> hanging from her seat, supported by the seat belt. It took about 45
> minutes to get us out - they had to cut off the pillars on the drivers
> side and peel it back.
> 
> We were taken to Barstow where we added to an already full ER. 
> We were
> treated well, but slowly, since we were not experiencing any real
> pain. After four hours we were x-rayed, CAT scanned, and finally about
> 2:00 AM released. We had only my small camera bag and Jan's shoulder
> bag. Fortunately she had her cell phone and our son in DC was 
> able to
> find a room for us for the night. Barstow has no taxi service so a
> hospital nurse took us to the Holiday Inn Express. They had cut off
> our clothes and we were drenched in blood and (it turns out) broken
> eggs etc. All our belongings, cameras (save the Leica) were in 
> the car
> that was towed to a junk yard.
> 
> The next day Jan talked a driver at the tow service to pick us 
> up so
> we could have clothes and rescue our valuables. Our daughter and her
> boyfriend drove down from the Bay Area and we packed up the 
> truck with
> our belongings. We found my iPhone by calling it...it still 
> worked. My
> M8 still worked although the lens hood on the 35 sumicron had been
> sheered off. The lenses seem well packed and survived. I have not
> tried the 1Ds MkII or looked at the 560 teleyt.
> 
> I have a broken left shoulder socket where some event pushed my arm
> hard into the socket.
> 
> Here are photos of the car from the iphone:
> 
> http://gallery.mac.com/abridge#100015&view=grid&bgcolor=black&sel=6
> 
> We are blessed to be alive, to have honest people who stopped and
> helped, to have kind caregivers and thoughtful people all 
> around. I'm
> sure the desk clerk at the Holiday Inn was shocked but she 
> rallied and
> found us something to eat and drink and had found an easy-access room
> for us.
> 
> There are miracles. I do not know what I have ever done to deserve
> this one but I hope to, somehow, pay it back.
> 
> Adam & Jan Bridge
> 
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