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I think this qualifies as an on pavement "trail report." 
On Tuesday morning at 6:45, I was driving to work westbound on the 210 freeway between La Tuna Canyon and Sunland Boulevard when my left rear tire blew out. I had just looked at my speedometer and know I was going 60 mph. I've had blowouts before (even in Jeeps and trucks) and I've always been able to control the vehicle and bring it to a stop safely. It's generally pretty easy as long as you don't hit the brakes. This was different.
My Jeep immediately started to spin to the left and careen through the slide from the number 3 lane (next to the "slow" lane on a 4 lane freeway) toward the median. When I was sure I couldn't drive my way out of this, I applied the brakes to lessen the impact on the median.
Either just before or just after I hit the median, I was hit by a pickup truck on my driver's side door, which caused the Jeep to start rolling.
When you are in a vehicle that's rolling you are disoriented and it's almost impossible to know how many times it rolls, but witnesses all said that it rolled 7 - 8 times. I was able to remain calm and kept thinking rationally thoughout the whole ordeal. I held on tight to the steering wheel and kept pushing myself toward the center of the Jeep under the roll bar knowing that if I couldn't do this I would probably die.
When I came to a stop I was hanging upside down from my lapbelt. The same pickup truck hit me again entering the upside down Jeep through the back and stopping about two and a half feet from my seat.
Not knowing where I was on the freeway, I was expecting that the next thing that might happen is that I would get hit by an 18-wheeler.
I quickly released my lapbelt and dropped to the pavement looking for a way out. I couldn't make it out of the crushed front or the doors. I looked back and found a small hole between the pickup truck's front bumper and my roll bar and crawled through it to discover that I was located safely on a wide shoulder at the center median.
The driver of the pickup truck was a very nice guy who was very concerned about my well being. I don't blame him, since he probably didn't see me sliding across lanes and most likely lost control of his vehicle after the first impact.
Many helpful people pulled over to offer assistance and I am grateful for their efforts. I was bleeding profusely, because throughout the roll my head kept hitting the pavement. It looked like that memorable scene from the movie "Carrie."
One person who pulled over was a paramedic who was on his way to start his shift in Pasadena. He stayed with me and worked to keep me from sustaining any more injury by keeping my head still while I waited for help to arrive.
I'm thankful for the CHP, Sheriffs and Fire department EMTs for their help.
They strapped me to a backboard and took me to the Holy Cross Hospital's Trauma Center in Mission Hills where I was evaluated and released.
Everyone working on me at Holy Cross was fantastic with a very caring attitude.
There's more to the story, but I've got to save something for when you all see me in person.
I'm lucky to be alive! (Albeit with a little less hair.)
On Tuesday morning at 6:45, I was driving to work westbound on the 210 freeway between La Tuna Canyon and Sunland Boulevard when my left rear tire blew out. I had just looked at my speedometer and know I was going 60 mph. I've had blowouts before (even in Jeeps and trucks) and I've always been able to control the vehicle and bring it to a stop safely. It's generally pretty easy as long as you don't hit the brakes. This was different.
My Jeep immediately started to spin to the left and careen through the slide from the number 3 lane (next to the "slow" lane on a 4 lane freeway) toward the median. When I was sure I couldn't drive my way out of this, I applied the brakes to lessen the impact on the median.
Either just before or just after I hit the median, I was hit by a pickup truck on my driver's side door, which caused the Jeep to start rolling.
When you are in a vehicle that's rolling you are disoriented and it's almost impossible to know how many times it rolls, but witnesses all said that it rolled 7 - 8 times. I was able to remain calm and kept thinking rationally thoughout the whole ordeal. I held on tight to the steering wheel and kept pushing myself toward the center of the Jeep under the roll bar knowing that if I couldn't do this I would probably die.
When I came to a stop I was hanging upside down from my lapbelt. The same pickup truck hit me again entering the upside down Jeep through the back and stopping about two and a half feet from my seat.
Not knowing where I was on the freeway, I was expecting that the next thing that might happen is that I would get hit by an 18-wheeler.
I quickly released my lapbelt and dropped to the pavement looking for a way out. I couldn't make it out of the crushed front or the doors. I looked back and found a small hole between the pickup truck's front bumper and my roll bar and crawled through it to discover that I was located safely on a wide shoulder at the center median.
The driver of the pickup truck was a very nice guy who was very concerned about my well being. I don't blame him, since he probably didn't see me sliding across lanes and most likely lost control of his vehicle after the first impact.
Many helpful people pulled over to offer assistance and I am grateful for their efforts. I was bleeding profusely, because throughout the roll my head kept hitting the pavement. It looked like that memorable scene from the movie "Carrie."
One person who pulled over was a paramedic who was on his way to start his shift in Pasadena. He stayed with me and worked to keep me from sustaining any more injury by keeping my head still while I waited for help to arrive.
I'm thankful for the CHP, Sheriffs and Fire department EMTs for their help.
They strapped me to a backboard and took me to the Holy Cross Hospital's Trauma Center in Mission Hills where I was evaluated and released.
Everyone working on me at Holy Cross was fantastic with a very caring attitude.
There's more to the story, but I've got to save something for when you all see me in person.
I'm lucky to be alive! (Albeit with a little less hair.)
I hope it comes back and you consider getting another Jeep. I from time to time wonder how my lifted jeep on 35's would handle at freeway speeds in a situation like this, well now I have an idea. Human nature is to help and it sounds like you received the best of it, hats off to those who came to your needs, they turely ROCK!
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