The Fate of the Crashman

That man who crashed into our mailbox, gate post, and a couple of trees–?

He’s dead.

He had a punctured lung, as well as some other internal injuries, but it was the skull fracture that killed him. When he was being extracted from his smashed car, he knew his name was “Joel” but little else (real first name). He was able to stand up, take a couple of steps, and then lay back down on the stretcher, so I honestly thought that he would be okay. But no… the brain injuries killed him later in the hospital.

Cat found out when she called the claims adjuster or whatever for the insurance people. Because there’s a death involved, it’s a “special case.”

I have mixed feelings. I’m surprised, because of course I thought for sure that he would have a little surgery and be just fine, aside from some memory and cognitive issues. He looked like he’d need hospital and rehab for sure, but about to die? I was so relieved when he was pulled out and it looked like he’d be okay.

On the other hand, I’ve had plenty of ill wishes towards those racers. There are too many people on that road– many on bicycles, or jogging, or with their kids– for that kind of speed. One small mistake around those blind turns (because FOREST– we live in a mixed agriculture and FOREST area) and people die. At least he only lost his own damned life! I’m super pissed that he lost it after crashing into our shit. I’m sort of glad he crashed and killed just himself, but wish he’d crashed somewhere else not involving us. And did I HAVE to witness that–? I’m mad that he tweaked my PTSD, because I don’t need that on top of everything else.

I have noticed less racing cars in the weeks since he crashed, and I’m pretty sure that guy in the cow-painted car Joel was racing against may be the reason why. I’ve seen some racing cars come by and slow down when they pass us, as if to notice the crash site or in memory of their comrade? I don’t know for sure, but I’ve heard those guys are pretty well-known to one another, so maybe they got a little bit of a clue.

Still, we had another smash up by the entrance to the state park just last week, only in that case it was a family in a minivan pulling out and another guy going too fast in a second minivan swerving to avoid them and ending up going UP an embankment some 6 feet and into a tree. That guy’s air bag went off, though, so I think he (or she) is okay. The family that caused the crash looked devastated. They were fine but the people who crashed weren’t and I can’t even imagine their guilt. They looked fucking haunted when I looked at their faces.

So… that’s 2 FATALITIES within 100 feet of our house in less than a month and a third crash a couple of weeks after that.

What the hell is going on here?