One Very Lucky Guy!

Ben Allen shares how he beat the odds and survived major injuries after being thrown from an airborne car.

By: Shari Eve Pack

 People who have survived tragic events often wonder why they were chosen to survive when most other individuals in similar situations were not as fortunate. Most explain it away as simply, it was just not their time to go. This is how the gentleman and subject of this article, feels when he thinks back to an incident that should have claimed his life. Here is his remarkable story of beating the odds…

Ben Allen, now thirty two years old, currently resides in Southern California. Ben is an easy-going, pleasant man who appreciates that he was given a second chance at life. One would never expect the physical and emotional obstacles he has overcome over the past several years.

This particular incident took place in 1998 while Ben resided in the state of Wyoming. He enjoyed the beauty, the people and serenity of the area. Although his family lived in another state, he never felt alone. He made some great friends and kept busy during his time off from work by hiking and skiing in Wyoming’s countryside.

One morning, Ben got into his Mazda 4-WD pick-up truck and began his drive to work. This was an older model truck that did not contain airbags. However, it did have a seatbelt which for some reason, Ben ignored during this ride into town. He was driving down Highway 26, between Alpine and Jackson Hole. This was a fairly rural area with only one lane in each direction. Since traffic was rather light, he felt it was safe to set the cruise control at 65 mph.

Ben should have considered a second cup of coffee that morning because he nodded off to sleep at the wheel. His truck veered and hit a reflector on the side of the road. Upon hearing the noise, he immediately woke up and tried to correct the truck back into the lane. When he realized it was too late, he was forced into taking evasive action in order to avoid driving into a nearby house. The only way to avoid the house was to drive into an irrigation ditch. Ben reacted quickly and tried diligently to maintain his composure during this nerve racking ordeal.

The vehicle was still moving at a significant rate of speed when he slammed into the ditch. As soon as his vehicle hit the ditch, the right tire blew out and the side windows shattered. His vehicle continued for several more feet before it began to go up the wall of the ditch. It was at that time when the truck impacted with something. This caused the pick-up to go airborne and enter into what is referred to as a corkscrew roll. Basically what this meant was that the body of the vehicle flipped in the air and was coming back down in an upside down position.

Since he did not have his seatbelt on, Ben grasped the steering wheel with every ounce of his energy. However, the centrifugal force sucked his body out through the driver’s side window. Ben was cognizant of everything that was happening at that very moment. He even recalls the fear he felt when he knew he was headed for the ground below.

The residents of the house Ben avoided hitting came running out after hearing the crash. They found his body several feet from his demolished truck and called 911.

Ben’s next memory of the incident was waking up in the hospital in a semi conscious state, though for only a few minutes. Ben had sustained major internal injuries, road rash on his head, a broken nose and cheekbone as well as breaking both of his wrists. Due to the severity of his internal injuries, a specialist was flown in to consult on his case. The hospital staff induced a coma while attempting to reduce the severe swelling in his body. Just three days after the accident, the swelling began to subside and Ben was able to begin his long, painful recovery. It was explained to Ben much later that he wasn’t expected to recover from his internal injuries.

After his stay in the hospital, Ben was released with both wrists in a cast and a very battered body.  Had it not been for his close friend, Matt, he does not know how he would have been able to care for himself during the following weeks. Ben eventually recovered completely from the physical injuries. The emotional trauma of the experience stayed with him for a long time.

Ben explained that he was not in the habit of forgetting to wear his seatbelt, but for some reason, he forgot to buckle up that day. We all know that seatbelts save lives. In this very rare case, had Ben been wearing a seatbelt, he would have died in the collision. The truck slammed down on its roof, completely crushing the passenger cabin.

Ben is the first to admit that he is not a terribly religious person. He does acknowledge that there was something or someone that played a role in saving his life that day. He is eternally grateful for the chain of events that lead to this positive outcome. Most of all, Ben is content knowing that he was able to avoid injury to any other person or their property.

After his miraculous recovery, Ben moved from Wyoming and eventually ended up in California where he works only a couple of miles from his home.

Why did he survive? No one really knows the answer to this question. Ben’s friends and family believe it is because he had lives to change, including his own. Ben has touched a lot of people over the years through his kindness and generosity. He has been given a precious gift and doesn’t intend to take that for granted.

 **This article does not in any way, condone not wearing a seatbelt. Not only are seatbelts mandatory, they are necessary in saving lives. Ben’s story was a rare case of surviving a car accident when a seatbelt was not in use. Please buckle up!