[brak]

[DISCLAIMER] DO NOT READ THIS POST IF YOU ARE FAINT OF HEART, OR OVERLY SYMPATHETIC [/DISCLAIMER]

while growing up, my buddies dad responded to alot of horrible car accidents (firefighter), and would tell us the gruesome details, in order to make his point about how seatbelts can kill.

I never took it to heart, and when i started driving, i didn't wear my seatbelt purely out of comfort, and the fact that i was lazy.

Friday May 26 1995 10:30pm
My friends Heidi Ryan and I (Ryan was driving, 1993 Grand AM) were traveling back to town, down a rural hwy in North Dakota, When we were struck by a large truck, that ran a stop sign (police estimate he was going around 70 at the time).

At this point i feel i should state that Ryan and I were not wearing seatbelts, Heidi was sitting in the back seat wearing hers.

The impact sent our car off the road, and down an embankment The car rolled three or 4 times, and Ryan was thrown from the vehicle. when the car stopped, i asked Heidi if she was alright, and i got out to look for Ryan. about the time i found Ryan, i heard screaming from the car, turned around, and it was on fire. I ran back towards the car, and Heidi was screaming that she couldn't get her seatbelt off. By the time i got back to the car, it was completely engulfed in flames, and i could not get close enough to help.

ALL I COULD DO, WAS STAND THERE AND LISTEN TO HEIDI SCREAM AS SHE BURNED TO DEATH!

Ryan ended up with a broken leg, broken arm, and some broken ribs.
I cracked a couple ribs, and had to get 3 stitches on the side of my head.

To this day, i can still hear her scream, it is a memory so vivid, that my keyboard is wet from my tears. The sad thing is, that earlier that day she had been lecturing us on how stupid we were for not wearing our seatbelts.

Right now I am working on becoming a officer with the California Highway Patrol, and i can tell you that if it came down to it, I would quit my job before i write a ticket for not wearing a seatbelt.