The Day Of Dean's Accident

Like many evenings, Dean came home from work and decided to go for a spin on his road bike. It was a beautiful evening, but he said he wouldn't go for too long of ride ... just 30 miles or something.

At 7:05pm, I received a call from Dean. When I answered, it wasn't Dean. I knew right away that something was wrong. The person on the other line shared that Dean was talking but he was not moving. I was told the location and drove to the scene.

As I reached the scene, the ambulance and many emergency personnel were with Dean in the middle of the road or blocking traffic. The EMT's were stabilizing him to get him on the backboard. Dean was coherent and communicating but he could not move his arms or his legs. Eventually the EMT's moved Dean into the ambulance to assess his injuries, and we waited for Sanford's helicopter to arrive. While we waited, Dean was able to tell me how the accident happened and what he was experiencing.

The big question: How DID it happen?

Heading west, back home, Dean was just riding along at a leisurely pace of approx. 15 mph. He approached a railroad crossing on the county road and proceeded to cross it. Just as he was crossing, his front tire caught in a space between two railroad ties, and Dean went flying straight over the handlebars. Although Dean does not remember his landing, he does remember how scared he was that he was lying in the middle of the road, motionless. He feared he would be hit by a vehicle.

Thankfully, the next vehicle to approach saw Dean lying in the road and pulled over to help.

Fast forward to Sanford emergency room. Dean received a CT scan & an MRI to determine the severity of his injuries, and to discover why he was not able to feel his arms or his legs. Upon the two tests and two neurosurgeons' evaluations, it was decided that Dean needed surgery as soon as possible.