Don't Drink and Drive People!

It has been a gruelling 24 hours.

Got news yesterday, that an employee was involved in an accident in the wee hours while returning from a wedding.

When someone at the office doesn't turn up without notice, we place a courtesy call to make sure they're alright. First on their number and then on their alternative contact provided to the office. It's a routine. And it usually ends up with them being down with the flu or them having overslept. Or they simply end up at the office next day with a story on why they couldn't call. But not this time...

Had my office administrator come in my cabin all shaky and horrified at around 11.00 AM saying that she had spoken to a parent of one of our staff members and he was involved in a terrible accident.

I took the contact info from her and spoke to his dad and turns out he was at a wedding till about 1.00 AM. His parents and sister left early and took the car they had come in with them. So, he hitched a ride on a motorbike with one of his friends.

The friend was drunk with alcohol levels beyond measure. My employee didn't have any alcohol in his system. He was just riding pillion.

His house was a 10-minute drive from the wedding venue with no highways or major traffic roads in between, so I am guessing he thought it'd be safe to go.

While returning they dashed into an oncoming car at high speed. The driver was killed on the spot.

My employee has a fractured shoulder, two broken ribs, a shattered right hand, a damaged kidney and some muscle injury near his hips. He also has major damage to some other internal organs. And was in a medically-induced coma for 11 hours.

A promising young fellow, he was recommended by his elder brother who worked with us for 4 years before flying out to Dubai to join as a founder in a startup. He came from a statistics background with top of the line research and excel skills. We were grooming him for web technologies, and he was learning advanced Python.

Now he's fighting for his life. All because he hitched a ride with a drunk driver.

Please do-not drink and drive. Even for small distances. Driving under influence can not only be dangerous for you. But also, for other people on the road.

Even the shortest distances can get you killed. I knew a guy who died while driving drunk on a route that was 5 minutes on foot.

Hope he recovers ok. Drink driving affects so many innocent people. This video should be part of driver education imo

Just got some mixed news.

He has lost one of his legs, it had to be amputated because of too much nerve damage and infection.

But he'll live.

Full recovery, otherwise, will take about a year and a half. With him spending at-least 4 to 5 more months in the hospital as several broken bones are repaired.

He had a shard of bone blocking his windpipe and damaging surrounding nerves/muscles, causing further complications as he moved or was moved for checkups/surgery etc. This was what the doctors were very worried about. They finally removed it after a 6 hour surgery day before yesterday.

He was under observation for 48 hours and has regained partial consciousness - was able to recognise his family, me and a few other friends. And is responding to medication.

P.S - IANAD and the above is my interpretation after talking to his doctor for 5 minutes.

Once again, please don't drink and drive.

BlogPro said:

Just got some mixed news.

He has lost one of his legs, it had to be amputated because of too much nerve damage and infection.

But he'll live.

Full recovery, otherwise, will take about a year and a half. With him spending at-least 4 to 5 more months in the hospital as several broken bones are repaired.

He had a shard of bone blocking his windpipe and damaging surrounding nerves/muscles, causing further complications as he moved or was moved for checkups/surgery etc. This was what the doctors were very worried about. They finally removed it after a 6 hour surgery day before yesterday.

He was under observation for 48 hours and has regained partial consciousness - was able to recognise his family, me and a few other friends. And is responding to medication.

P.S - IANAD and the above is my interpretation after talking to his doctor for 5 minutes.

Once again, please don't drink and drive.

Click to expand...

I feel so horrible about what happened. Maybe I am the only one but if he wants a card or anything that can lift his spirits please tell me and I will send it. Again, like you said, don't drink and drive.

" liquor injurious to health "

Wow, best wishes for his speedy recovery. I hope you can find a way so he can work while he is recovering.

I feel very horrible for what has happened this is what i have been saying for years after returning to India it has become culturally acceptable to drink and drive ,people think its a sign of bravery or heroic ,here in my city 8 people dead and 100+ people got severely injured during new year eve ,Indian roads are dangerous when driving sober ,drunk and drive is a voluntary way to death.
In my experience most of people who get severely affected are those innocent people who walk in platform or who got into bike with a drunken friend ,i will never get into bike with any of typical Indian friend who drives like crazy to show off in front of girls.
I'am here only to whine ,if you starting any initiative ready to give my part to that initiative to stop this.

I feel very sad for this guy . he had to lose his leg just because he hitched a ride. that sounds awful.
don't drink and drive and DON'T ride with drunk people

Drunk driving needs to be automatic 5 years in prison first offense and Marijuana laws need to be relaxed everywhere. This type of stuff would never happen with Marijuana yet Marijuana has a worse rap than Alcohol.

/end rant

For OP, nothing you could do other than be a good friend to the guy. Long road to recovery but he'll be stronger. Wish him all the luck.

That was really bad news. I hope he will recover fast.... I would never allow any of my friends to drive after they got drunk. I don't even drive on hangover because often I feel that those 0.1 second of delayed reaction can cause much trouble...

Yes, it's very irresponsible. Some countries have zero tolerance, others allow a beer though. When i was younger, i often sat next to my friends, who were drunk while driving. Not anymore, i rather walk. Never happened anything bad though, i guess we were lucky. Fortunately i made good friends with a guy at the uni, who turned out to be an anti-alcoholic, when we go somewhere where alcohol gets involved, he's the one, who's driving.

Speedy recovery to your employee, if it's even possible with an amputated leg.

Yes indeed, don't drink and driver.... smoke and fly

Damn, wish him all the best

I lost my friend because of this. I don't drink and smoke.