By Nancy Fleeker Daniels
Almost two years ago I was in my pickup truck waiting at a
stop sign for my turn to cross a well-traveled road that does not have stop
signs. There was no oncoming traffic in sight from my left or right, and the
next driver opposite me signaling to turn left appeared to be waiting for me to
take my turn.
After I entered the intersection, the opposite driver
suddenly pulled forward, turning his wheels left front of me. I braked, and the other driver also
stopped. Unfortunately, another driver
in a pickup truck with a trailer came over a hill, saw me in the intersection,
but (by his own admission) was speeding and couldn’t stop. He slammed into my
truck turning it around and sent me careening out of control.
I remember putting my right foot on the brake three times
and having it knocked off by the force of the truck. At the same time, I was
trying to steer my vehicle into the correct lane while the truck kept jerking
back into the lane that now had oncoming traffic. I finally succeeded in getting
off the road. My truck crashed through a
chain link fence and came to a stop.
The movement of the truck was so violent, that it broke my
foot by whipping my leg sharply. The seat belt broke my collar bone. Those were the injuries that were immediately
apparent.
Two months later I began to have neurological issues. I lost my balance while leading students in
the hallway at work. My writing became difficult to read and I misspelled my
own name three times in one day. I
typed an email and when I finished, the computer screen showed an email with
nothing but gibberish.
My husband took me to the ER where a cat scan revealed
large blood clots caused by two subdural hematomas – one on either side of my
brain. The neurosurgeon said the movement of the truck caused my brain to
repeatedly move back and forth, hitting against either side of my skull. I had emergency surgery that involved
cutting four incisions in my scalp so that holes could be drilled in
skull. I was extremely fortunate. They
were able to drain the majority of the blood through tubes. Appropriately, I
was released three days later on Thanksgiving Day.
I was not allowed to drive or work for more than two months. As a substitute teacher I don’t get paid
unless I work. My insurance only paid
three-fourths of my lost wages.
I fight being bitter towards the driver who was inattentive
and driving too fast. He had no
injuries. He also had no insurance, so I had to pay for my new vehicle.
Physically, I’m not the same. I often experience sudden, complete
exhaustion requiring immediate sleep – sometimes for hours. My foot healed, but I experience great pain
if I am on it too much. I use a cane most teaching days. I get headaches
several times a week near one of the holes in my skull. I still have the four holes in my skull and
my head is extremely tender.
Now that I’ve listed all my woes, I want to be clear that I
am grateful for my life. I am glad I
made a choice long ago to always wear my seat belt. Had I not been wearing my seat belt, the
violent movement of the truck would probably have ejected me and my story might
have ended very differently.
Nancy
Fleeker Daniels is retired from the Kansas Department of Transportation in
Topeka.
