Not everyone has life changing events occur to them (and lives to tell the story). Some just have death. This boy was very, very lucky many would say. Sliding Doors – nothing in this story after this date may have occurred had this event turned out differently.
Picture this – car upside down in ditch at a place called Benger on South West Highway, next to rail line, ~10 metres short of large pond of water. Kid inside wakes up from unconsciousness (no idea how long – might have drowned perhaps). Laying on roof of the upside down car (seatbelt broke), hears running fuel in a hot car. Thinks this is a bad place to be and climbs, unaided, out through broken driver side window and up to road (about 3-4 metres above). Time is about sunrise (0600). Stands on side of road (wearing yellow tracksuit top – state team tracksuit) and looks around. Not much to see really. 10 minutes later dairy farmer picks this kid up, takes him home for shower and breakfast and then drives him to Bunbury Hospital for check up. Apparently the farmer was getting his cows ready for milking. Hears a noise, sees a cloud of dust but can’t see anything else but keeps looking occasionally. Can’t remember their names (poor form really) but their own son had been injured in a roll over accident – lost part of a hand.
Now let’s backtrack. How did this kid end up in the ditch? Basically went like this - parents away on holiday in Busselton. Kid training for soccer ahead of night series. Game on afternoon of New Year’s Eve. Drinks in club after game, onto pub, out to night club. Stopped drinking about 9.00pm. At night club with one of the other players – leave about 3.00am. Friend was intending to come but when we get to his place he pikes out (good job as it turns out). Drop him, go home, grab some clothes and small change (yeh I also had no money in those days) and start to drive south. Drive is generally about 3 -4 hours depending on speed and traffic (none at this time of morning).
Get tired – you know turn radio up, wind window down kind of stuff. Make it about 1 hour south of Kelmscott and pull over in a truck stop. Go to sleep (safe and sound). Wake up – no watch on therefore no idea how long I slept (could have been minutes for all I know). Start to head south again. One hour later – in ditch. It was pretty spectacular really. Anyone who has done the same and lived to tell the story might corroborate the general pattern of events.
Sleep – different noise – car has left road and drifted onto gravel (left), stupid driver wakes up (doing about 70 mph) and is “confronted” by white road marker, swerves to right (big mistake), careers across road – towards a 20+m drop off of right side of road into paddocks, swerves hard back to left, now heading diagonally left again towards drainage channel next to rail line, manages to straighten car momentarily (say 20-30 metres) before front left wheel dives off side of ditch. Car nosedives into channel, flips end on end and then rolls several more times before coming to a halt facing forward.
Elapsed distance from first impact (flipping onto roof) to final resting place for car only (thankfully) about 30-40 metres. Total distance from first contact with gravel to final resting place about 120-150 metres. How do we know this - back window in car popped out whole with rubbers and was found this far back from car.
Car was totaled. Pulled from ditch with Tractor – sold to scrap yard for $150 (four good but deflated tires and a working radio). Every other panel damaged. Front of roof actually touching where bottom of screen would normally be.
Driver injuries – small graze on top of head (contact with light fitting) resulting from failed seat belt. Small cut on hand (exiting car via window). Sore back.
People reported car to police – driver ultimately charged with careless driving (you don’t say) and lost 4 demerits and got fined a couple of hundred dollars.
Second life used up (first was near miss with girlfriend – another sliding door!!).
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