A Lawrence man who nearly died in a head-on collision two years ago has built an Internet Web site detailing his experience: www.hitheadon.com.
A day doesn't pass that Ryan Wurtz fails to think about Labor Day two years ago, when he almost died in a head-on collision.
But now he's hoping to share his experience through an Internet Web site that's designed to tell his story and provide hope for others who have been through similar life-altering experiences.
"It's hard to find people you can talk to unless you've been through something like this," he said. "My goal is basically to have a place where people can get together and talk " and share their experiences."
Wurtz's Web site is http://www.hitheadon.com.
The site details how Wurtz, 24, of Lawrence nearly died in a Labor Day 1997 head-on collision that occurred on Kansas Highway 10 as an 82-year-old woman was driving west in the eastbound lanes.
The 1994 Mercury that Henrietta Johnson, North Kansas City, Mo., was driving at an estimated 65 mph slammed into Wurtz's 1986 Nissan 300ZX, which Wurtz was driving at 74 mph.
Johnson was pronounced dead at the scene.
It took Lawrence-Douglas County Fire & Medical personnel more than an hour and a half to extricate Wurtz from his vehicle.
Luckily for Wurtz, minutes after the accident, Rodney Bruce, a paramedic who works in Kansas City and lives in Lawrence, stopped and began helping.
"He said that I was just squirting blood out," Wurtz said. "He just jumped in and was holding my legs to keep me from bleeding to death."
Wurtz doesn't remember the accident or being taken by helicopter to the Kansas University Medical Center, Kansas City, Kan., where he remained for two months.
It took Wurtz about a week and a half to regain consciousness and realize he was in a hospital.
He wasn't able to walk again until March, because both of his legs had been crushed. Wurtz's body was trapped between the car seat and the steering wheel.
"He (Bruce) told me that when they finally got me out of the car. He said I looked like a bush " because you know how a bush has all these little twigs sticking out of it? That's what I looked like. He said I had bones just sticking out all over the place."
Today, Wurtz is well, but he is legally disabled. He's able to walk but can't run or jog.
Part of his Web site, called "Stereotyped," is dedicated to addressing bad experiences he's had with other motorists since he began using a handicapped parking permit. Now, Wurtz says, he better understands what those with other disabilities experience.
Although his insurance company has paid a significant amount of more than $300,000 in medical costs for several surgeries and treatment, he still is facing a large bill.
Wurtz said he goes to bed every night thinking about aspects of the accident.
He said he hoped his Web site could help people understand what it's like to go through such an ordeal.
"In a weird sense, when I see tragedy on TV, it's a comfort because you know you're not the only one who's had something bad happen to them," he said.
Wurtz, and his wife, Adrienne, have a 2-year-old daughter, Jacqueline.
His daughter was 3 months old when the accident happened. He didn't see her again until she was nearly 6 months old.
Wurtz works part-time as a computer administrator for a local company.
-- Michael Dekker's phone message number is 832-7187. His e-mail address is mdekker@ljworld.com.
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