My Dad was in a Car Accident

At 8pm last night my Mum gets a call from the Paramedics to say my dad has been in a car accident. 

They took him to Port Shepston Hospital for a head injury, cracked ribs and his knee has been torn open.  My mum doens't drive but even so, not having a second car, she had to get someone to take her to the hospital to see my dad.

By the time she got there, my dad was in the ER.  She said when she got there she got such a fright when she saw all the blood.  You bleed pretty bad with a head injury, so she wasn't prepared for all the blood.  She says his face looks terrible - all swollen and grazed.  Mum went with him to x-ray to make sure he has no fractures.  Everything looks clear but they need to keep him for observation with his head injury. 

He is in a normal ward for now and mum is going to see him again today after the doctor has been around to re-asses his situation.  She needs to take his eye-glasses because my dad's blind as a bat without them and they were completely smashed in the accident.  Mum is now stuck on her own with no car and unable to drive!  I wish I could be there for her - she is 700km away.

My dad says he was pulling out of a petrol station after filling up, when a mini-bus hit his car on the side.  It doesn't matter who's fault it was because the Paramedics took blood on the scene and my dad was well-over the blood alcohol limit.  I'm so glad he's okay but I'm angry that he was drinking and driving - again.  Perhaps, this will be a wake up call for him...

The car is a complete write-off and because of him being over the alcohol limit, the insurance won't cover him anyway.  So, he'll have to fork out money to buy a new car - another wake up call.

I know I sound harsh, but my dad has had a drinking problem for years and he has never admitted to it.  He could've had hurt or killed someone else in the other vehicle and then it would've been a lot more serious.  We're talking manslaughter then.  Luckily the little girl that was in the other car only sustained minor injuries and is at the same hospital as my dad is (so we can keep an eye on her situation too).

What a way to start a Monday morning!   When your phone rings at 5:45am - you know something is wrong and immediately you go all cold.

Will keep you posted.