Journal of a Car Accident Victim

Recently I was in an extremely traumatic car accident. There was a total of five of us: my best friend, our boyfriends and our other friend. We all just graduated high school and we’re on a trip to the lake. This was a weekend that we had been enjoying because it was our last trip altogether before some of us went away to college. We had an amazing weekend and it was the day we were heading home. The morning was spent going out to breakfast and our car spent the morning at the lake one more time before leaving. The car was all packed and we hit the road around noon. We were all listening to music and talking and enjoying ourselves. My boyfriend and I were sitting all the way in the back while my best friend and her boyfriend were sitting up in the front with my best friend driving. Our other friend had the middle row to herself. We were all awake and decided we wanted to listen to a podcast. Side note, if you have gone on a long road trip to the desert you know that the roads are very long and appear to go on for miles. The sides of the road also are kind of steep. Anyways, we were all listening to the podcast and my boyfriend and I fell asleep along with my best friends boyfriend and our other friend. At this time it was about 2:00 PM. The next thing I remember was hearing my best friend screaming and we were going off the road and rolling. Next, I remember waking up on the sand seeing someone running towards me and picking me up. I had been ejected from the vehicle. My boyfriend ran out of the car without shoes causing the desert sand to give him blood blisters on the bottom of his feet. I was sitting in a women’s RV until the ambulance arrived. Two different people stopped to help us out. I don’t remember much of the waiting for the ambulance but I know I talked to my mom on the phone and I remember being in an ambulance with my best friend. Everyone else was fine but me and my best friend. We were the two traumatic cases. I was taken in a helicopter to the closest trauma center to us. My best friend was supposed to be airlifted as well but hers was canceled due to a monsoon. I don’t remember the helicopter ride but I remember pieces of that first night in the hospital. I remember being taken for scans and tests. I also remember my best friend coming to see me. They had me in a neck brace overnight. Everyone kept saying it was a miracle. At the time I didn’t understand why because I was in a lot of pain. My entire right shoulder and arm were swollen and I couldn’t move it. I had road rash all down my back and my left leg. All my nails on my left hand were broken and my hands were torn up. But looking back at it now it was a miracle. Because it is four weeks later and I am up and walking with minor injuries. The only major injuries are my shoulder and upper back. Which will take time to heal. I’m only 17 and since my mom didn’t know our boyfriends were there I’ve been grounded ever since. So mentally I’m not doing so good. I told her this wouldn’t be helpful for me to move on and I was right. I now have PTSD and the depression has returned along with my anxiety being more severe than ever. But that’s for another story. I haven’t been with the other four people altogether since the accident. And we need some form of closure for all of this. And I’m hoping to get that soon. I just needed a way to talk about what happened because I have haven't got to talk to anyone. Finding this way of sharing is probably the best way for me to share the facts about what happened. Thank you for reading.