Yes. August, 1986. High speed (~85mph+) M/C wreck. Drunk as a skunk. 16 years old. Liter Kawi. Ghosted bike to avoid mowing down kids getting out of St. Mary's at the end of Brook St. on a hard left. Took the turn on one knee and let go of the bars a split second after seeing the kiddos racing across the street just down from the Brookline Spa on the corner at the top in their little uniforms .
The BFD found me pinned underneath a Chevy Impala ~140' from impact site, bent in half backwards, face up, with my ankles behind my head toes down (no, not like the dirty movies). Bike in about 6 pieces over the entire block. Kids told the cops and FD I'd done two and a half rotations head over heels after the initial smash.
By the time the wrecker picked up the car I was under--they found me only by one of the FD hearing me moaning-- I had coded. No respiration, no pulse after getting me in the meat wagon. Non-responsive in every way. Wee Muther actually heard me hit 1/4 mile away from the porch just getting home from working a double as a nurse. Thanks, long-haired hippie looking dude in robes or whatever.
18 hours of 3 man (two men, one woman actually) trauma team surgery later, they told my folks if they were praying types to go have a talk with their God to do so.
They collectively predicted that despite their efforts, I likely wouldn't survive the night.
I walked out of there 6 weeks later,full of piss and vinegar, missing most of my right lung, with 17 broken bones healing, mega internal organ and muscle damage repairing and zippers up my guts and back, plus 4 chest tube holes in my torso. Not to mention losing 45 pounds and feeling like I'd died. Morphine is Lord, BTW.
I 'died' three times that first 24 hours, I am told. I never saw any lights, gates or any old man. Nothing. Three weeks and maybe change after the wreck I awoke. I'll never forget coming to and seeing WM at my side, in tears. As she saw me awake and with me asking her where I was, she slapped me hard in the face and hissed, 'Boy, if ye never believed in th' guid Lord above before this day, th' noo is a guid bloody time to start! Ya wee bastard!' YE WEE BASTARD!'
True story.
