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

[abridge at gmail.com (Adam Bridge)]

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