Former state representative Mike Mass critically injured, wife killed in Atoka County collision

[RugersGR8]

https://newsok.com/article/5617335/...68195644&utm_medium=email&utm_source=hs_email
Former state representative Mike Mass critically injured, wife killed in Atoka County collision
FROM STAFF REPORTS
Published: Mon, December 10, 2018 11:18 AM Updated: Mon, December 10, 2018 11:49 AM

 

[dancer4life]

Wow, how sad is this? My prayers go out to the families of both accidents.

 

[SlugSlinger]

No seatbelts. What in the world?

 

[tRidiot]

No kidding... that's a rough road, right there, too. Dangerous.

 

[1mathom1]

Bad deal. I have to be careful pointing fingers at the "no seatbelt" thing though. I grew up standing on the headache rack in the back of the pickup as we went to town, for crying out loud. I cannot remember to put on a seat belt unless the vehicle nags me into it.....and my truck doesn't.

 

[CHenry]

Karma?
Still a sad deal

 

[tRidiot]

I don't feel comfortable in ANY vehicle unless I have a seatbelt on. It's just a habit I got into (luckily) when I was young - and I beat it into my own child unmercifully.

 

[TerryMiller]

I've driven professionally in the past, and if folks had seen what happens to vehicles in accidents that I have seen, a seat belt would be fastened EVERY time one got into the vehicle. I'd venture to guess that the folks in that car in Norman that OHP did the PIT maneuver on was probably buckled up. Maybe not, but at least two of those people got out of the car and didn't need immediate medical care.

 

[tRidiot]

Car wrecks are bad... I've worked a few car/train accidents - now those things are incredible the damage they do. And when there's someone still in the car, or someone walking hit by a train - it doesn't leave your mind's eye for a looooooong long time.

 

[Dave70968]

From: <me>
Sent: Tuesday, March 20, 2012 2:04 PM
To: <my team and others at work>
Subject: That's How I Roll...

Dear Friends,

by now, I think you’ve all heard I was in an accident on Sunday. Since you’ve been asking, I wanted to give you all the details, latest updates, etc.

The Accident

I was northbound on I-35, exiting to I-40 westbound. I think you all know this was a bad intersection to begin with, and the construction hasn’t improved anything. Entering the ramp at Point 1, a white something-or-other cut me off on the left side, from the emergency lane. I swerved to avoid and broke the rear end loose. I fishtailed all the way down the highway (Area 2), somehow missing all of the concrete barriers. Toward the end of the ramp , after I had cleared all of concrete sections (Point 3), I departed the pavement. I suspect I fell off with the right rear tire first, based on how it rolled. I completed one full roll to the right side, coming to rest on the tires just under the bridge at Point 4.

I believe the roll actually benefitted me—as I was headed down the ramp, I could see the concrete pillar for the bridge ahead of me, so I think the roll dissipated a lot of energy that would otherwise have sent me into the pylon.

The Damage

Definitely totaled. Front windshield broken (the safety glass held together, though); left window shattered; rear windshield ejected whole; right and left rear quarter windows shattered; left A-pillar and both D-pillars collapsed; both fenders damaged; roof collapsed; undoubtedly other stuff that’s less visible.

Injuries

2 minor/none. I walked away literally laughing (adrenaline dump and a minor whang to the head may have contributed to the latter bit). I had a slightly sore neck and a cut from some glass. I reported to the hospital Monday morning after experiencing tremors, some stuttering, and mild aphasia. The doc gave me a CT, during which times symptoms abated. The ER doc looked at the CT and said—and I quote—“you don’t have a swollen head.” (So there!) I still have a small piece of glass in my hand, but the orthopedic surgeon is on vacation this week. It’s really just an annoyance. Canis doofus walked away with his tail wagging and proceeded to make friends with the responding patrolman.

Reflections

First and foremost: I’m lucky to have walked out of this one.

Second: very little luck was involved. Amusingly enough, I was discussing the amazing safety technology that has come out of the racing industry not 24 hours before the accident. Most importantly, I was wearing my seat belt! When the roof the ground, it hit hard; everything in the car went to the ceiling. It even emptied the seat-back pockets, and I found the ejecta all over the car and the highway. If I had not been strapped in, the best case is that I would have come down on my head with my full weight; worst case, I could have been ejected too. The airbags did not deploy, but they would have been no help in this case. My seat belt absolutely saved my life, and the way the frame soaked up energy kept me from any serious harm.

Third, go see the doc right away. I felt fine immediately, but a day later, started to lose the ability to form sentences. As most of y’all know, I don’t generally lack for words, so that’s a pretty significant deal for me. I’m still a little bit twitchy, but it’s getting better.

Y’all stay safe out there; I should be in the office tomorrow.

--Dave​

...so wear your damned seat belts, y'all!