No drugs, and no alcohol, but driving on a foggy night is dangerous enough by itself. Four seventeen year old boys were heading to a music store to buy a few cds. Not up to any trouble, not racing, just being boys.

This is what the truck used to look like.

November 19, 2007 - Northbound Gulf Freeway (IH45) at the El Dorado overpass. James said the fog was pretty heavy in this area and he was only going about 40 mph. The 1996 Toyota 4 Runner blew a front right tire as it rubbed against the right side curb. This propelled the SUV across the road to the left and when they hit the opposite curb, the truck started to flip. Because there is a shallow ditch just behind that curb, the boys and the truck rolled 3 complete turns. The truck came to a stop about 300 feet from the roadway and they were facing the opposite direction it was originally traveling.

 Click on the map to the left to see a more detailed view of the site including the landing position of the truck.

James, Jeff, Michael, and Raider walked away from a 3 flip roll over accident with minor injuries to themselves because all four boys wore their seat belts. Several emergency personnel stated that they were extremely lucky to survive and James was especially lucky that he didn't snap his neck. A wrecker company employee asked me if there was a fatality with the amount of damage they could see sitting in their storage yard. He was even more surprised when I said that all the boys walked away relatively unharmed.

Some of James' wounds are cuts and abrasions to his shoulder and neck, cuts to his forearm and his left hand was smashed but no broken bones, bruising and abrasions on his scalp. What is not showing is that he blacked out from the blow to his head for a few minutes at the scene of the wreck.

He is now seeing a therapist to help with muscle spasms in his upper back and neck.

James and Jeff (his left hand has 2 cuts to the bone, a nicked tendon in that hand, all over soreness and other abrasions. He was the front passenger.)

Michael, the next morning at the scene looking at the crash marks and finding bits of the truck still in the field. (He has all over soreness and abrasions on his back, and reoccurring flashbacks. He was sitting in the rear seat, passenger's side.)

Picture from earlier that evening of Raider because his mom took him to another hospital. (He had lot's of glass embedded in his left arm and several other abrasions along with all over soreness. He was sitting in the rear seat, driver's side.)

Four very lucky boys. They had angels riding with them that night. And four mothers are extremely thankful.