Dallas Miracle
Sun Jul 10, 2005 10:05 pm
Musical Journey Turns Tragedy
A Miracle for two families
Craig Snow, a friend from Tyler had never really seen Eisley outside of
BrewTones and was interested in the band... so I said, "if you really
wanted to see the band in their element... like, to get a feel for what was
happening, you should come to a show in Dallas." He said, "When's the
next show?" I informed him of the July 7th show - the finale on their first
headlining tour. He said he'd like to come; I told him I'd put him on the
guest list if he'd come.
Fast Forward.
It's the night of the show... the band is sound checking, Craig shows up in
the doorway of the Gypsy Ballroom and watches and listens with an
eager expression. It was great to see him... I told him I was glad he
made it.. how many were with him. He said his wife... and Laura (our
friend also), his daughter was on the way. "Great. I'll put you on the list".
I then got busy and wandered off in my usual random-problem-solving
mode...feeling good about the fact that they were all coming.
Fast Forward.
We drove home after the most successful show probably in Eisley
history... "the perfect night" as Stacy said, because all our friends were
there, the perfect opening bands were there and almost 1000 Dallas fans
were there. It wasn't until the next day I found out that Craig never saw
the show.
He received a phone call while sometime after I saw him that his
daughter - Laura, and that they needed to get back to Mother Frances
Hospital in Tyler. They promised each other they wouldn't look at the
wreckage - knowing they'd pass it heading back toward Tyler... but it was
impossible to avoid - a smashed up semi-truck and a piece of metal -
unrecognizable as a car. Both girls had been life flighted separately.
Rosie was still being cut out of the car as the Snow past the scene. The
mother burst into tears...
What happened: Laura's friend Rosie was driving, Laura was in the
passenger seat... they were on I-20 heading W. around the Canton hwy
64 mark, when they began hydro-planing on the fresh layer of rain.
Losing control completely, they began to spin round and round, skithering
off the interstate into the center median.. "oh God!!" - they thought
they'd never stop... The spinning finally stopped in the oncoming traffic
in time for them to look up and see the semi truck barreling straight for
them at 65mpg. "OH God!..NOT NOW!!", Laura screamed - and closed her
eyes because she didn't want to see - knowing she was about to lose her
life.
The 18 wheeler slammed into them nearly head on... she described the
awful noise...metal crunching, ear piercing terror...decibels of horror as
their small Isuzu and bodies were crunched into a mesh of broken bones
and blood. (sorry... I get carried away with the wordage)
Here are pictures of the car in the junk yard the day after:
Laura, concious, searched for her cell phone in vain...but remembered
Rosie's was in the dash. The dash was now pressing against her; and
Rosie's cell was in the seat. She dialed home... talked to her brother -
"come get me please, I've been in a wreck"... climbed out of the vehicle
after trying to reassure her very injured, semi-concious friend, Rosie,
who was covered in blood and moaning, "oh God, oh God.." and
collapsed halfway outside the vehicle on her side. She had enough
adrenalin to make one last phone call to her dad - (in line for will call at
the Eisley show) before going into shock.
3 hrs later, she was in intensive care, life threatened, due to internal
injuries and bleeding. Emergency surgery lasted hours...
Meanwhile, Rosie was flewn to ETMC. Her femurs (the biggest bones in
your body...leg bones that attach to your pelvis) were broken,
compounded... (yes, poking out) and a mangled ankle among many
other abrasions and cuts;
As we speak, both are alive and recovering! They're both still in the
hospital, but Laura, whom we visited today, might be able to home soon
to recover; Rosie, whom we tried to visit, will be in the hospital for 2
months; She'll be in a body cast and in therapy after the bones heal for
probably a year. Hopefully we can see her when we return. We've never
met her... it's so sad, but at the same time, can you believe either are
alive?!
It's so weird. The band felt guilty... even though it's not their fault, of
course. But it's eerie, knowing that someone narrowly escaped death on
the way to an Eisley show. It's a sobering tale... and I know it's not so
uncommon; when it strikes close to home, the impact is greater.
I look at the circumstances and the photos and... I just scratch my head;
it's a miracle either of those two girls survived that head on crash. We're
so thankful. I just wanted you guys to know...
Thanks.
boyd
p.s. hope that's readable. I'm falling asleep really bad.
28 Comments