Martha Adcock shared this report of the horrifying car crash she and Eddie were in over this past weekend. Both vehicles were demolished but, in the good news side of the equation, both she and Eddie are likely to fully recover. Here is her description…
I am just now able to respond to begin to say thank you to all for the well-wishes and prayers for Eddie and myself after our car accident last weekend. The bluegrass family is so wonderful, as are all our family and friends. Because so many are concerned, and due to my inability to write or speak to each one, here is what’s been going on…
Last Saturday, Eddie and I were in a rather bad auto accident near downtown here in Lebanon, Tennessee, but we are alive and counting our blessings. I think we’ll be all right before too long. A big heavy box-truck just simply pulled out of a right-hand side street to go across immediately in front of us, leaving us no time to stop, no room to navigate away. We couldn’t believe anyone would do that and don’t yet know why he did it — didn’t look, didn’t see, texting, whatever. He just pulled out right in front of us, and there was no way to avoid him. We believe we hit at his dual rear wheels (thank goodness we didn’t go underneath). What an awful feeling in the one or two seconds before we hit. And what a terrible impact it was. It turned the truck over, and it demolished the front of our car.
Eddie has six broken ribs from his chest impacting the steering column and breaking that down into the floor, and there are loosened staples at the site of his ’04 heart bypass surgery. He has contused lungs that are worrisome as they aren’t absorbing enough oxygen currently; but his pulmonologist, who he saw today, says that will gradually improve. I have a broken back (three vertebrae compression fractures), a concussion, a chip-broken or fractured ankle, bruised ribs and hips, bruised neck and back and shoulder bones, all with stretched ligaments; likely a bruised liver and gallbladder. Eddie was in local hospital for two days, and I was in there for three. I am to wear a neck brace for four weeks and a back brace for six weeks. We are both still in rather a great deal of pain, I’m afraid, despite meds, but that will surely improve. If you will continue keeping us in your thoughts and prayers, that would be the best medicine of any, I believe. Now if only I could go back and somehow find my glasses – intact.
We haven’t seen the car yet, or the police report, and won’t be able to get there for a couple of days. We’ll surely miss our little ’90 Chevy Lumina/Euro — wonderful, economical run-around-town car that it was. It was too old to have airbags, but of course we wore our shoulder-harness seatbelts, as always. It pays to wear seatbelts! I shudder to think what might have been if we hadn’t. And we’re grateful that the accident occurred not far from home.
It could have been so much worse. Our lives were SPARED, and it really makes one think. I’m thinking… my album that I haven’t made yet, and that biography of Eddie I’ve been working on. We were being Watched Over, and now we’re being Prodded. There are two phrases floating in front of my mind’s eye: “Don’t waste time” and “Be patient.” Yes, they DO go together.
And wash your face before going out for brunch. If you get in a wreck, at least you won’t have to worry about clogged pores when you’re in the hospital unable to move. And if you get a funny feeling about the traffic, drive more slowly and warily, even if you’re already going under the speed limit. It may buy the extra minutes that could make the difference.
Eddie and I regret that we must miss attending and performing Cedar City Blues with Tom Gray at the Celebration Reception for the Patuxent Banjo Project to be held this Saturday afternoon at the DCBU Bluegrass Festival in Tysons Corner VA. It will be a wonderful time.
Now Eddie and I are dealing with other “after-wreck stuff” now too. But please don’t worry. Rather, save that energy for prayers! Thank you.
Martha & Eddie Adcock
