Let's be careful out there

[Steve Jensen]

I just got home from visiting a former co-worker in the hospital in ICU.  He
has a big black late model Corvette, and it was the subject of quite a few
conversations in the office ("hey, Ivan, sorry I drooled on your car at
lunch today") since he knew I was a car nut.  Super nice guy, retired from
the Army as a Sergeant Major a few years ago, and one of the nicest guys you
could ever meet.

Apparently, he was coming up on a lady who was coming from the opposite
direction on a two lane road.  She was stopped, waiting on my friend Ivan to
pass so she could turn.  A 16 year old girl came flying up behind the lady,
notices her at the last second, hits the brakes but instead of choosing the
ditch (when it was clear she would not stop in time), goes into the opposing
lane and slams into my friend Ivan head on.

He was not driving his Corvette at the time, and the car he was driving did
not have airbags.  He _was_ wearing his seat belt, but his ankle is
shattered, his sternum is cracked along with broken ribs, and they put a
long titanium pin in his leg as it was severely broken.  They put a chest
tube into him and have him on a respirator since the impact caused internal
swelling making it hard for him to breathe.  He drifts in and out of
conciousness due to the sedation.  I left his wife some Corvette magazines
for him to read when he wakes up, and I wept for him and his family on the
way home.  His wife and grown kids are trying very hard to be strong.

He will have a long road to recovery, and I'm sorry this is such a downer
but this could be _any_ of us.  The accident was not his fault and he
doesn't remember a thing about the crash.

Please be careful out there, and if you are a religious type, please say a
small prayer for my friend Ivan (I will) as he needs all the help he can
get.

-Steve Jensen
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