I got hit by a drunk driver

Drunk driving may seem like a laugh at the time but it can have some serious consequences. Normally we like to keep things light, but this topic is not something that can be made light of. Don’t make rash decisions while under the influence and ALWAYS have a back-up plan in case you drink more than expected. Here’s a real-life story about how drunk driving impacted Sandy’s life.

True Stories

I spent the day with a friend in Brighton and I was walking back from the station at about 11pm. It was only about five or 10 minutes from my house when a drunk driver rode up the pavement in his car and hit me.

“I got hit by a drunk driver, I think I need an ambulance.” 

It’s very vague, all I remember is hearing the sound of a car and feeling dizzy. I put my hand up to my head and realised I was bleeding. Fortunately I was able to phone the emergency services and say “I was just hit by a car. I think I need an ambulance.” By the time they asked me where I was I had no idea at all. I was really confused and kept saying “I don’t know, I don’t know, just help me, please.”

The driver didn’t stop, he just drove off. He eventually came back and pretended to be one of the people who had stopped to help. He asked one of the police officers if it was OK to go, thankfully the policeman noticed his car was damaged and smelled alcohol on his breath, so he said “No, you’re coming with us” and arrested him.

I was rushed to A&E. I had deep cuts on my forehead which needed to be sewn up. They put the stitches in, but then my head swelled up because my inner arteries had been cut. They had to unstitch and restitch me three separate times. My left eye was so swollen and bruised that I couldn’t see out of it. My right eye was nearly as bad and I could only see a little bit out of that side. I didn’t want to look at myself in the mirror for a while because I was scared of what I was going to see. When I did, I just burst into tears because it wasn’t me.

A reminder every day 

I’ve just recently had some surgery to my scar. It was really blue and the hospital said something had got into it and basically tattooed it. So they cut the scar out and then sewed it back together. I’ve lost a bit of movement in my right eyebrow, so if I try to raise my eyebrows only half of it moves. My friends don’t notice any more, but to me it really stands out. It’s a reminder. A reminder every day of what happened.

I suffered from an injury on my left knee. I lost tone and some of my muscle. It’s really painful. I get a clicky knee, because the joints still aren’t fitting together properly. I used to do ballroom dancing. On the day of the accident I’d actually just been to collect a dancing medal because I’d just done a competition. But I haven’t danced since.

I still get a bit nervous walking on pavements, especially if a car goes quite fast past me. The sound just reminds me and I get a kind of flashback: I half expect the car to hit me.

Three times over the limit 

The driver was three times over the limit. That’s just ridiculous, especially considering his age. He wasn’t a young driver. I thought he should have known better. I feel like asking him “Why? Why did you do it?” There’s no reason why anyone should drink and drive. I hope he feels guilty. I hope that he’s learned his lesson and that he’ll tell people what happened so someone else won’t make the same mistake.

People think “I’m an amazing driver” or “I haven’t had that much to drink” You might have only had a couple of pints, but it’s not worth the guilt. It’s not worth the guilt of hurting someone or, even worse, killing someone. I’ll remember what happened to me for the rest of my life. The scars are never going to leave me. To this day I can’t quite believe that I got hit by a drunk driver.