Team-BHP - My Maruti 800 crash: A first-hand account

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Dear Samridh

May the road rise up to meet you and I hope the collective prayers of this community helps your recovery. I myself have no doubt that you will get better soon, since you've an indomitable spirit and some of the finest of human values.

Your post (#47) is uplifting, and distils some of the aims of life and love itself. We all could do with ways to pause and take stock of our life's purpose and I thank you for sorting through the inevitable pain, anger and sorrow to get to your truths, helping us to gain our truths in the process.

I found a bit of my life in yours, and have determined to make some changes to the way I live mine. Thank you for helping me open my eyes.

You remain in my prayers.
R

Samridh,

Thanks for sharing this insightful event of your life. I would like to some day meet up and catch a picture with you and myself. When I get old, and someone asks me who this was, I would say here is myself with a 'real life hero'.

Samridh,

Here I am cribbing about all the things I want in life. Thank you for making me realise what I have.Wherever life takes you from now on, lean back in the knowledge that you have given me the true meaning to the word LIFE.

And I thought team-bhp helps me get to know only cars better.

First and foremost, a BIG applause to Mr. Mehta for doing the right thing. I only pray that we have more people like Mr. Mehta in this country. Mr. Mehta if you are reading this, wishing you the very best in life sir.

Next Samridh, your post (#47) was really touching and truly inspirational. Superbly written. Thanks for this.

From whatever I read today I am concluding that you are a strong man and will soon be back to normal. After having seen an incident in my family I can tell you that nothing will get you back to normal more than a strong will power. And I do think you have this in you. Stay happy mate.

Last but not the least, I was cursing when I read the incident about your watch being flicked. But then after having read through this entire thread I notice that you have not written a single curse for either this person or the Innova driver. Kudos man. You really are something. I admire your positive attitude. :thumbs up

Get well soon mate!

Samridh !! This is one of the finest posts that I have read in Team-BHP and saw this post only today.

As the Branch Head of an Insurance Company am always thinking what kind of message should we throw in when a Policy document is sent to an Insured. This post and entire posts on How wearing seat belt saved lives is a good starting point.

I hope by now you have recovered fully. Wish you all the best !!

Quote:

Originally Posted by Samridh (Post 2844936)

This is what I learned from the accident

A little late in posting this, but this post of yours is definitely one of THE most valuable posts on our forum. Thanks a ton for sharing.

Glad to read that you recovered from your injuries and my best wishes to you for a happy life ahead. :thumbs up

Quote:

Originally Posted by Samridh (Post 2844936)

This is what I learned from the accident -

Hello Samridh,

I am quoting you so that you get a notification of this post, but this post of yours (#47) has taught us a lot about life and the way to live it.

As more than 2 years have passed since the unfortunate incident, how are you now? I (& the whole T-bhp community) hope & wish that you have completely recovered from it.

I know that what you have went through all this time and I really hope and wish that you keep up your promise- posting your videos of cycling & dancing.

My best regards to you & your family,
Saket

Thanks for your concern gentlemen!! Someone who has had so much love from even unknown people ought to be doing good!! Indebted!! I am at my thing!! Working hard, partying hard, learning to enjoy sports that earlier came so easily and cycling of and on!! I will load some pics and videos soon!! For now:-

Quote:

Originally Posted by Samridh (Post 3096617)

Good to see you in pink health! Good luck!

Hats off to your endurance Samridh. It is at times like these we realise a lot of things which in routine we take for granted, are actually things we need a lot. One needs guts to make a complete recovery after a bone-shattering crash like that. Anyways, that is the past. If i have learnt something from you after reading your first hand account, it is that i must appreciate life, my friends and family. I will try my best to help anyone in an accident from now. Life as such is important. Wishing you all the best for a complete recovery.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Samridh (Post 2844936)

This is what I learned from the accident -

Life is a gift, treasure it but don't hold back for the greatest moments to be served on a golden platter... Surprise her and when she asks you what just got into you, tell her that a friend just made u realize how special life is and for you she epitomizes life.

Thanks a lot Samridh! This is indeed most beautiful posts that I have read and the above lines do sum it up perfectly! :)

I am glad that you have recovered and wish you a long happy life.

The post also sets me thinking about the neglect of safety features in our cars, we Indians would rather go for a swanky new music system but would not care to have airbags in our cars. Not that it is not changing though.
Even the OEM's are at fault too, they provide a plethora of new features as standard and have airbags / abs as optional only for top-end variant. If provided with an option, I would drop the factory fitted music system or body colored bumpers for airbags any given day! please:
Yes, the cost would go up surely but come to think of it, will it really?

Why only that, I work for Crash and Safety, I know how much work has gone by behind each safety feature, even a seat-belt can be such a lifesaver at times but my own family members don't make it a habit of wearing it by themselves! I almost always persuade them and make it point to not move the car unless seat-belts are worn.

Update time- with everyone's love and support I am doing absolutely fine. I am having a ball of a time; driving, riding, photographing, gyming etc.. In fact, I have managed to loose 9 odd kilos in the last 75 days and thought of thanking everyone here for their endless support. Just a photograph of the world as I see it today -

Quote:

Originally Posted by Samridh (Post 3430307)

Dear Samridh, I am very happy to know that you are back in action and living life to the fullest. The post#47 of yours shook me up, and I would like to thank you for making many of us realize again what life is, how one should live and take it up. I will not make sure that I do the best possible help to any victim of a road accident. And needless to say I do feel happy about my life despite many things not as I want them to be.

Thanks again and wish you the best.:)

Quote:

Originally Posted by Samridh (Post 2844936)

This is what I learned from the accident -

1. Don't delay your plans in life. By delaying them we are only living in the false hope that we are bound to live long.

2. Get a health and accident insurance. I didn't have one and paid a lot of my hard earned money in getting me up. Thankfully, I could do it with my money and didn't have to rely on my family for it. Notwithstanding, its best to have a sufficient cover.

3. Never drink and drive. I remember so many days when I used to vroom after having inhuman quantities of alcohol. Thankfully, on the day of the accident I was not drunk. Imagine if a sane man (at the top of his reflexes) can meet with such an accident, what may happen when you are under a severe influence of alcohol. We must also understand, this accident could well have been the other way around (that is a car hitting a 2 wheeler or a rikshaw).

4. Talk to your family, love them and tell them how special they are. Its embarassing to always be on the receiving side (of love). Me and my dad always had a very quiet relationship. We often have dissenting opinions on issues. Post the accident, I could not go to my family house in punjab as we have 3 boxer (dogs) at home. One show of affection cud be fatal while I was in bed. Being a nuclear family of 3 (mom, dad and me), someone had to take care of the house, the dogs, the bussiness. I needed someone as I was hinged to the bed (preferably male as my mom can't physically move me). My dad gave up his bussiness and stayed with me to see me through this phase (15 months). We never spoke too much before the accident, but now he is my friend. For this reason alone, I probably am glad that this happenend, else I wouldn't have ever known how much we love each other.

5. Keep a paper note/chit containing all your important numbers (family members) in ur wallet at all times. A phone is the first thing that may be flicked out of ur car at the time of a crash. DO NOT RELY ON YOUR MEMORY. I am a lawyer and deal with a fair number of issues all day, if not more, I have the memory of an elephant. But after the accident when I was taken to the hospital, due to such a lot of blood loss I just couldn't remember my mothers number. I would say the first 5 digits of my mothers number and and the last 5 from my fathers number. It happened at least 10 times.

6. Don't try to move immediately after an accident. Try and use all ur senses and all mobile organs like ur limbs. If your limbs don't move or move with a lesser degree of control it could be a nervous damage, spinal injury or something worse.

7. If u realize there is a breakage ask by standers to use wood, card boards, steel rods (like jack rods) to make a temporary cast to support the broken bones. A freely broken bone will have sharp edges and will cause soft tissue injuries, muscle ruptures and may even lead to ligament snapping (which is at least as bad as the fracture, if not more). Healtier soft tissues and muscles will help the bones recover much faster. So DO NOT PANIC and SAVE WHAT YOU HAVE. MITIGATE further injuries. I was dying so couldn't call the ambulance. But if you are somewhat ok and feel you are in a position to call an ambulance. It is not as expensive as you think it is. Even if it is, its a tad cheaper than your life.

8. Never believe the 'first opinion' of the doctors (the real opinion will come on the first or the second examination). They know that you need courage. They will not tell you on your face if you are going to be on bed for 1-2 years, at the time of the accident or 1st examination. I think they are right in doing that. They are not crooks. They just know human phsycology a little better than you and me. They see human lives wasted everyday and a are privy to the frustration that follows. The 1st estimate that was given to me was 3 months. At the end of 3 months, I hadn't still had a bath, not used a toilet etc.. At the end of june, that is 4 months after the accident I was re-examined and said I was doing ok. When I asked my doctor "how long will it take to walk without crutches", he said "you will not be able to do it in 2011". But he added, "one day you will". I was quiet because my family was with me. We left from his chamber and cried like it was the end of life. I really thought I will never because the union had just begun. My information and research told me that people with bad bad crashes and broken femurs had recovered in 6 months. If the bone doesn't unite in 9 months its declared a non-union. I knew if nothing had happened in 6 months, how could something happen in the next 3. I WAS WRONG. The doctor was right and the phase from the 9th to the 12th month was the best. Motto: Believe in your Doctors. They know their thing.

9. The time on your bed is killing so better pursue your heartiest desires. I used oils and canvasses to paint. I downloaded over 20000 songs in anticipation that one day I will get a rocking music system in a new car (which meant I 'knew' one day I will drive).

10. Eat healthy, its normal to indulge in food while in bed. My weight shot up by 20 kgs in 6 months and today that single thing is the biggest hurdle between me and my full recovery.

11. Talk to loads of women and garner their support and sympathy. It shall pay in the longer run. I remember going to bars with 2 crutches. Women would come talk to me, wish me and go. Its a lighter way at looking at problems. What if I had lost an organ. What if it was more worse. Learn to accept yourself the way you are and not the way you want to see yourself. Accept where you are, laugh at the golden moments that you had in the past, treat your present problems as if they are much smaller and could have been faaaar worse.

Life is a gift, treasure it but don't hold back for the greatest moments to be served on a golden platter. Go get a an ordinary china bowl and assimilate what ever you can best manage and share it with your loved ones. Take your wife or girlfriend for a lovely (I deliberately didn't say lavish) dinner out today, spare ur self for a second and tell her that you forgot the wallet in the car, rush to a flower vendor and get her a bunch of flowers. Surprise her and when she asks you what just got into you, tell her that a friend just made u realize how special life is and for you she epitomizes life.

It has been over 8 years since that fateful day and whilst I look palpably different, none of the experiences have faded away into oblivion. That accident gave me many a harsh teachings but also told me the value of life, love, family and friends.

But one undeniable effect it had on me was to take away a sense of tomorrow. It does not mean that it made me scared whether or not I will be given a tomorrow instead it allowed me to extract the most out of now, this second, to the fullest. I would want to write more about that but before that, I again thank each one of you to write those kind kind messages on this post that I read every couple of weeks and draw strength from your support when I was at my weakest, my lowest.

To tell you all about how I responsibly relish my automotive days now, here are a couple of snippets -