To the editor:

I sometimes joke that my auto accident was the most exciting 10 seconds of my life. I know it rightfully scared my wife and two children.

That routine drive home from work on K-10 Highway in October left me with multiple injuries, a lengthy hospital stay, and more insurance paperwork than I thought possible. I was home for over three months.

That all happened because while driving home, I fell asleep at the wheel. One eyewitness reported my car jumped into the air when it slammed into the tree; another said my car threw gravel on hers when I swerved back onto K-10. I have no memory of either event.

Thankfully, my family hasn’t gone through this experience alone. Support and prayers poured in from all directions, and for that we are humbly grateful.

The accident reinforced to me that K-10 can be a very dangerous highway. Three people died on K-10 in October 2008 from auto accidents; three more (myself included) were injured.

The French have a saying: “One meets his destiny often in the road he takes to avoid it.”

K-10 drivers need to remember that what happens to us on the road is largely under our control. We must pay attention to weather and road conditions and moderate our speeds when it is raining or snowing, be alert for the actions of other cars around us, and be aware of our own physical situation; tired or exhausted drivers are out there.

David L. Teska,
Lawrence