2006 Scion Xa

WHILE DRIVING MY 2006 SCION XA WESTBOUND I80 UTAH ACCIDENT OCCURRED AT MILE MARKER 150 WHILE TAKING A LEFT HAND TURN PASSENGERS FRONT TIRE ENCOUNTERED BLACK ICE SENDING THE CAR INTO THE CEMENT BARRIER. BOUNCED OFF THAT CEMENT BARRIER INTO THE OPPISITE BARRIER ON THE PASSENGER FRONT BOTH WERE BLOWN OUT AND A FRAME OF THE VEHICLE WAS COLLAPSED IN THE VEHICLE THE DRIVER'S SEAT BELT FAILED TO LOCK OR ENGAGE. RESULTING I IMPACTED WINDSHIELD WITH FOREHEAD CRACKING IT, THEN AS I WAS COMING BACK INTO THE DRIVER'S SEAT THE STEERING WHEEL AIRBAG DEPLOYED LATE AND RESULUTING HIT ME IN THE LEFT SIDE OF JAW RESULTING I WAS SHOT ACROSS THE CAR AND THE RIGHT SIDE OF MY FACE SHATTERED THE PASSENGER SIDE WINDOW ON TO THE ROAD. I LANDED ACROSS THE GEAR SHIFT AND BROKE MY BACK AS A RESULT. OF THE SAFETY SYSTEMS FAILING TO FUNCTION PROPERLY I WAS THROWN AROUND THE CAR LIKE A RAG DOLL I BLEW OUT THE MCL IN MY LEFT KNEE AND SUFFERED THREE TRAUMATIC BRAIN INJURIES WITHIN 30 SECONDS. RESULTING FROM THE CRASH COMATOSE FOR 6 HOURS I HAVE NO CLEAR MEMORIES FOR UP TO 3 MONTHS AFTER THE ACCIDENT. ALSO A FRACTURED BACK, HOW MUCH IS AND BY THE AGE OF 24 AND HAD TO HAVE ALL MY TEETH PULLED AND RECIEVE DENTURES. TO THIS DAY THIS ACCIDENT AFFECTS MY DAILY LIFE AND LONG TERM CONSEQUENCES OF THE 3 TBI ARE STILL DEVELOPING. I WAS 20 YEARS OLD AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT. I'M 27 NOW. I FOUND OUT ONLY A YEAR AGO THAT RECALLS SHOUKD BE INPLACE.

I WAS ALONE, PREPARING TO GET ON THE TURNPIKE ACCESS ROAD WHEN A CAR/VAN HIT THE RIGHT FRONT PASSENGER SIDE OF MY CAR. DETAILS OF THE ACCIDENT WERE RECORDED MANY HOURS AFTER THE CRASH. I WAS NEVER ASKED TO PROVIDE DETAILS. MY CAR ROLLED OVER TWICE DOWN A STEEP-ANGLED BUT SHALLOW EMBANKMENT AND THEN RIGHTED ITSELF UPRIGHT. MY SEATBELT WAS FASTENED AND SNUGGED BUT AT NO TIME DID THE RETAINING FUNCTION ENGAGE.THE SEATBELT FUNCTIONED LIKE A BUNJI CORD. AND THE AIRBAGS (NEITHER FRONT AIRBAG) DEPLOYED UNTIL MANY MINUTES AFTER THE CRASH, AS I WAS SLIDING ACROSS THE FRONT SEAT AND CONSOLE AS I BEGAN TO EXIT THE PASSENGER SIDE. I WAS AND AM STILL INJURED, HAVE LOST MUCH USE OF MY LEFT WRIST AND HAND, SUFFERED A BLOW TO THE BACK OF MY HEAD WHICH TEMPORARILY LEFT ME DEAF. I STILL HAVE SEVERE CONTUSIONS OF THE LEFT AND RIGHT LEGS, AND ABDOMEN BOTH EXTERNALLY AND ON THE INSIDE OF THE ABDOMINAL WALL. *TR

THE ACCIDENT OCCURRED IN REPUBLIC, MO AT THE INTERSECTION OF HWYS. 60 AND P. I ENTERED THE INTERSECTION TRAVELING WEST ON HWY 60, MAKING A LEFT TURN (SOUTH) ON A GREEN ARROW ONTO HWY P. A DRIVER TRAVELING EAST ON HWY 60 RAN A RED LIGHT (SHE CLAIMS IT WAS YELLOW) AND STRUCK MY VEHICLE ON THE FRONT PASSENGER SIDE. AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT, I WAS WEARING MY SEAT BELT. BUT, AS THE AIRBAG DEPLOYED AND THE MOMENTUM OF THE CRASH WAS SET IN MOTION, I WAS THROWN SIDEWAYS INTO THE PASSENGER SEAT. MY RIGHT LEG STRUCK THE GEARSHIFT (MY CAR IS A STANDARD), SHATTERING MY RIGHT FEMUR. I UNDERWENT SURGERY TO HAVE A ROD INSTALLED IN MY LEG AND SPENT 5 DAYS IN COX SOUTH HOSPITAL IN SPRINGFIELD, MO. I BELIEVE THE SEAT BELT FAILED (WAS SPRUNG) WHEN MY ELBOW SMASHED DOWN ON THE SEAT BELT MECHANISM WHEN MY CAR WAS STRUCK. ONE INJURY RECORDED AT THE TIME OF THE CRASH WAS AN INDENTATION ON MY RIGHT ELBOW AND HORRIBLE BRUISING--AN INJURY INCURRED I SURMISE WHEN MY ELBOW STRUCK THE SEAT BELT MECHANISM, RELEASING THE BELT. ON THE XA, THE SEAT BELT MECHANISM SITS UP HIGH--I OFTEN RESTED MY ELBOW ON IT WHEN SHIFTING--WHICH I NOW REALIZE WAS UNSAFE. I HAVE FOUND NO EVIDENCE OF RECALLS FOR THIS EXTENDED SEAT BELT MECHANISM, BUT OBVIOUSLY IT IS A SAFETY ISSUE DURING AN ACCIDENT, AS MY ACCIDENT SHOWS. AFTER THE ACCIDENT, MY NEPHEW "TESTED" MY THEORY BY STRIKING HIS ELBOW ON THE SEAT BELT MECHANISM IN THE MANNER I HAD DESCRIBED. HE REPORTED THAT THE BELT POPPED OPEN EASILY. *TR