THE WRECK
May 7, 1994
One of the major life changing events of my life....

This is the car I was in during my accident on May 7th, 1994. (Sorry for the low resolution. I have enhanced it from the original to the best of my abilities). The driver was Rex Ellis, the front seat passenger was Chad Johnson and I (Lee Lewis) was lying in the back seat with my head on the passenger’s side.

We were returning from Daytona Beach headed West on Interstate 4. We had all been drinking and Rex had a tendency to driving very fast and dangerously even when he had not been drinking! I was laying in the back seat. I recall raising up and looking over Chad’s shoulder to see where we were and at that moment Rex was passing a car in the shoulder. I have seen him do this in the past and decided I did not want to look. I jut lay back down and hope we would be okay. We were not.

Rex was traveling over 100mph... he told me he knew he hit at least 107mph. He was impatient to get home and was passing cars left and right. When they got in the way, he would pass them on the shoulder. He was in the process of doing this when it happened.

The first thing I remember was hearing a scraping noise. I thought we were side-swiping a guard rail.

There was a medium sized car carrier truck which had pulled over to the side of the road. The driver was changing gas tanks or some such. We were nearly to the Deltona exit and Rex did not see the truck until the last moment. He tried to swerve back onto the road proper, but there was traffic in the way. He slowed some, but we believe he was going about 97mph still when we struck. Only the right side of the car hit, but it hit the back comer of the trailer ramp. Fortunately, it was one of those ramps with no obstacles. The car was literally launched into the air where it rolled over and landed on top of the cab of the truck and then bounced to the side of the road. The driver’s door of the trucks was nearly ripped of and the hood of the truck was ripped off. In fact, the hood hit the truck driver in the head. He was lucky that he only needed 9 stitches (so I was told). The truck driver’s wife was sitting in the truck; she was not injured. However, I was...

I had flown from my laying position in the back seat, through the front windshield. Feet first. My torso was still in the car, but my waist and legs were sticking out under the motor. Of course I did not realize this at first because I was very unconscious! When I came to, everything was pitch black and utterly silent. An eerie silence. I felt nothing and was disoriented. Suddenly the silence was jarringly broken by Chad’s voice, which screamed loudly, “Get me out of this God damned car!!! I smell gasoline!!!” I realized his voice was coming just inches from my left ear. He was pinned in the passenger’s seat and hanging upside down. Rex had already regained consciousness and had gotten out of the car. In fact, when he gained consciousness he popped his seat belt open and fell to the roof of the car (we were upside down, if you recall). I was still out cold and, in the extreme darkness, Rex could only see the upper portion of my torso, which fell lifelessly to the roof with him. He however, thought it was half of my body! He did not know my legs were sticking through the window. This freaked him out and motivated him to exit the car frantically through the very tight opening which was previously the driver’s side window. He hurt himself worse trying to flee my “mangled” body than he did in the accident itself!

At this point I decided to try to extricate myself from the wreckage. I tried to move... to lift my arm... but I did not seem to be getting a response. My systems were not responding. I started to feel panicky. Maybe it was the adrenaline rush, but I was suddenly able to move. Somehow I managed to push my self backward out of whatever was entrapping me. I heard a voice at this time... I don’t know who it was, a man’s voice I think, but they said, “This one got himself out!” So... there were people around... I was vaguely starting to understand at this point that we had been in a car wreck. Apparently a bad one.

After this there were only confusing a vague memories. I remember being very irritated with a very rude FHP (Florida Highway Patrolman). I knew that’s what he was because I could see the stripe on his pant’s leg. That’s about all I could see though, since I was laying on the ground. I was trying to tell him something... or ask him something; I am not certain. I think it had something to do with letting my brother know what was going on. I remember tugging at his pant’s leg trying to get his attention, but he screamed at me and said something like, “If you touch me again, I will arrest you!!”

I also remember telling someone to “get his badge number, because I am not going to remember this!” ... I sort of did.

The next thing I remember is being in the ambulance. Chad had been cut out of the car and was put in the ambulance with me. He was hysterical and screaming violently. I remember thinking he must be hurt really bad, so I reached out and found his arm. I made contact and tried to calm him down. I told him to relax and let them do their job. But he kept screaming. Later he told me that the EMT, in an effort to quite him down, actually punched him twice in the groin! He was shocked, and I still am. What a horrible thing to do to someone who had just gone through a major accident! Who knew what kind of possible internal injuries Chad might have had ... and a single punch to the groin (or anywhere) might have been enough to kill him. There was no way to know.

Then I remember something about my clothes being removed and having a catheter “inserted.” Even in my situation at the time, that was an unpleasant experience!

My next memory was waking in the hospital. Something was on my face... in my mouth... down my throat... no... in my nose! In almost a panic, I pulled a breathing tube from my nose. Ick... it’s still a yucky memory. At this point, I still had no idea of what kind of injuries I might have sustained. But I figured I was not as bad off as Chad since he was screaming so much. I wondered how bad he was hurt...

This entire period is very blurry and vague. I was on morphine and then a Demerol switch.

Later... (it is not clear to me when due to the drugs) the doctor came to tell me what had happened. I learned that my right leg had suffered an “articulate compound fracture of the tibia plateau” ... that basically meant that my leg had crushed and nearly ripped off just below my knee! However, they put me back together with only five surgical screws and told me I would need a second surgery to complete the repairs. I also had a “minor” head injury and required about 6 stitches. I was also informed that my right hip had been dislocated. Later I learned that it was an anterior dislocation and that they are much more serious that a posterior dislocation.

Despite my situation and the influence of Morphine or Demerol (whichever they had me on at the time), I was able to call my office and my insurance company and orchestrate not only my coverage at the office, but my move from the hospital in Sanford, to the Orlando Regional Medical Center (ORMC). My insurance did not cover the hospital in Sanford.

On an interesting side-note: Rex was the driver in the accident. His wife, Francine, was a nurse, and she worked at this hospital! She came in to visit me a couple of times before I left.

Amazingly, Rex and Chad both went home that night with scrapes and bruises. I was the only one who had any serious injuries.

Monday they transferred me to ORMC. When they came to move me, one of the orderlies took hold of my ankles ... and I SCREAMED at the top of my lungs. I remember that moment so vividly. I must have sent cold chill up & down the spines of everyone on my floor! It hurt so bad. I screamed until my throat was raw like a wild animal! It was awful. But it wasn’t because of my leg... I told them (once I regained my senses), that it was my right foot... or my ankle.

Once they got me on the gurney they transported me to ORMC by ambulance and got me established. I made sure they did not hold me by my ankles again! But it was still painful being transferred to a bed.

Shortly after my transfer, I was visited by my Director, Frank Hagy and my long time acquaintance (and now my Bureau Chief) Conrad Cross. It made me feel good that they visited. The day would eventually come that I would look back on their visit with bitterness, but ... that’s another story.

On Wednesday (May 11th, one day after my late mother’s 57th birthday), I underwent my second surgery. This time it was scary. I had to sign forms releasing them of liability in the event I died... etc. Very disturbing. The first surgery was easy... since I did not know it was happening! But the second time I was fully aware of what was going to happen and the possible negative repercussions.

I remember that the day before the surgery, I was told that I could not have anything to eat for 24 hours (they called it “NPO”). Yet, on the morning of the surgery the orderly rolled in the breakfast tray and asked me what I wanted!! I told her I was supposed to be NPO! I was very concerned at that time, wondering what kind of system was taking care of me! But... the surgery went well and when I gained consciousness, I now had a bunch of staples in my leg closing the wound. Up until this point in my life, I had never had a broken bone nor stitches. I seemed to be making up for lost time!

A week or two after my surgery, I left ORMC. I was transported in another ambulance to a rehabilitation center called “The Arbors” in Altamonte Springs, Florida. I stayed at The Arbors and underwent physical therapy for 2-3 weeks. It was a very depressing place. Lots of old people who were recovering from strokes and almost no one near my age (I was 36 at the time).

I was finally released to come home on May 27, 1994. This was also the date of the late episode of Star Trek (TNG). Rex picked me up from The Arbors and drove me home. Needless to say, it was very disturbing for me to be riding in a vehicle with Rex driving. I had to keep staring at the floor and my mouth was dry. I kept swallowing over and over and felt queasy. But (of course) we made it home without anything happening.

I was in a wheelchair and would be for almost three months. Some people say I "dwell" on this event in my life. I don't know that this is the case, but it is true that it has affected my everyday life from that day on. However, it has given me perspective and understanding, so it is not entirely a negative experience. I am grateful to be alive, respectful of people in wheelchairs, thankful that I can walk.... or see, or hear, or think, or even to feed myself and remember the names of my loved ones. There are many who do NOT enjoy these blessings!

I do not know where Rex is today. The last I heard, he was in Dublin, Ohio, but I lost touch with him. I think he may be trying to avoid me and forget the entire ordeal. However, I hold him no ill will. He did not intend to cause this and I could have made the decision NOT to get in the car with someone I knew had been drinking. I share a portion of the blame and I accept that. So, wherever you are Rex, if you read this, I hope you will lay aside any guilt you may have and contact me again. If not, I understand, and please pass my greetings on to the boys, your brother (and his wife & kids) and Francine. You were all a significant chapter of my life!