Closure -- Reflections On A Drunk Driver ... R.I.P.

BOOM! Thud! -- Were the deafening sounds that accompanied the jolt!  "What was that??" I said as I gave my husband a startled look.  Upon reflection of that moment later, we agreed that collectively we thought that perhaps we had broken our axle.  But the thoughts and words were interrupted as a vehicle slammed into the driver side of our FJ40 LandCruiser; we were hit a second time...

As the same vehicle glanced off our side and began passing us, Rich did his best to keep our truck from drifting or rolling.  I fought the fear that was trying to over take me, as I watched a small light colored car spinning out of control and directly into our path.  Rich said "Hold on, this could get ugly!" He didn't know how right he was...

It was a rainy winter night in Humboldt County on the North Coast of California. Not a torrential downpour, mind you, but just a seemingly mild rain fluctuating between drizzle and constant.  Having just left hubby's parents at their hotel, following a birthday dinner for our son, we were on our way back to the RV park where we were staying.

I don't recall what we were talking about, but I do recall the first hit as it was so hard my glasses flew off my face and hit the dashboard, and I grimaced with pain as the seat belt did it's job tightening around my waist and torso preventing me from mimicking the action of my eyeglasses. The second hit, side smack, was not as bad, but definitely jarring!  The third however was mortifying... as I watched the car then cross our path directly in front of us.

I remember praying fervently as I saw no way that the driver could escape certain death!  The car was small (Volkswagen Jetta) in comparison to our 4-wheel drive truck, which also had the added weight in the front with a a heavy duty bumper and housing which contained our winch.  As we collided with the car Rich was able to steer enough to the left to hit more the rear of the vehicle than the front -- though still technically 't-bone' as we hit from the center back, on the passenger side.

I was further horrified as I saw our shovel and hi-lo jack go airborne upon impact with the car -- straight up -- and knowing that they could very easily come down through a windshield or roof of one of the vehicles and do dreadful damage.  I continued to pray.  I closed my eyes and then felt another thud to my right.  And then we stopped.  I looked and the little car had come to stop adjacent the passenger side of our truck facing the direction from which it had originally come.

My husband asked our son and I if we were both okay, which we affirmed, and then he immediately hurried to aid the driver of the car while I called 911 for emergency assistance.  Astonishingly as my husband rounded the end of the car, of which the mangled body was still attached to the front right corner of our truck, the driver got out under his own power.   My husband asked if he was okay and he said that he thought that he was.  At that moment my husband heard horns and saw headlights heading right for our truck.

You see -- we were still in the slow lane on the freeway.   As I was speaking with the 911 operator I looked behind us and became aware that there were many cars stopped along the side of the highway.  When the operator asked how many vehicles I told her that I could only say two for sure, but there were many behind us and I had no idea if there were issues there.

As I turned forward, after reporting info to the 911 operator, I saw my husbands face aghast -- waving his hands -- shaking his head and yelling "Nooo!!!..."  I told our son to stay in his seat belt and hold on, as we might be hit again.  My brief horrifying thought at that moment was that if a vehicle hit us our truck would most likely run over my husband... I closed my eyes again in prayer and felt relief as despite the braking and squealing of tire noises, the vehicle sped around us with horn blaring.

My husband immediately hurried to the truck and moved it out of traffic, over to the side of the road -- taking part of the car with us.  Once we were parked I helped our son to buckle into the front seat to allow my husband access to the inside back of our truck to get flares and reflectors to hopefully minimize our propensity for being hit again, as the first hit had taken out our taillights.  Once I was assured that our son was okay, not seriously injured at any rate, I called hubby's parents at their hotel.  I told them what had happened, where we were and asked if they would please come to pick up our son as it was not safe for him to remain there.

A short bit later, just after the arrival of emergency-responders, hubby's parents arrived but CHP instructed them to a safer spot for them to park to wait for us. After taking down my husbands personal information, since our vehicle was still operable, a CHP officer followed us to the next off-ramp where we could safely transfer our son to the care of his grandparents while we dealt with the aftermath of the accident.

It was at this point in time that the CHP officer who we were talking with got a radio call and informed us that he was switching places with another officer at the scene.  Upon the arrival of the second officer she asked my husband if he had noticed if the driver of the other vehicle seemed to be under the influence of alcohol.  Rich said that he did not have enough interaction with the other driver to evaluate that.

The days that followed were filled with much contact with doctors (for injuries sustained by all three of us), insurance agents, rental car offices and automotive repair shops.  Reflecting on it now it is a bit of a blur, but I do recall that the pain was horrific for weeks and driving, for me, became a frightening experience for many years and panic attacks continue intermittently today.

While my husband was giving his information to the highway patrol officer, that night, he mentioned that we had just recently arrived in Humboldt for him to attend the University.  The driver of the other car volunteered that he taught there. When my husband asked what department, the tone of his voice changed and he said, 'perhaps I shouldn't say.'  My husband initially thought that was an odd remark, since it appeared at that moment that the accident was nothing more than that -- an accident!  Over time, the question asked by the officer coupled with the response of the other driver, in being reluctant to give information, would make more sense.

But let's pause here and consider the question by the officer that night: "Did the other driver appear to be drunk or under the influence to you?" ~  So... What does an 'alcoholic' 'drunk' or more specifically a 'drunk driver' look like?  Wouldn't he/she be readily identifiable?  I mean think about it -- You've watched "COPS," right?  Or perhaps similar shows that share videos from their 'dash-cams' -- drunks are usually staggering, unstable, sometimes funny to watch or perhaps belligerent.  Often times not well kept -- from as mild as 'a-bit-disheveled' to a down-right 'dirty-mess!'  That's how I recall the portrayals... thus I continue.

It took about a week to get the police report, as I remember, it was then that we would learn the name of the man who hit us.  Since the man had said that he worked at Humboldt State University we immediately searched his name via the school's website.  We were startled to discover that he was a Priest who taught in the Religious Studies Department.

And now... we learned too, that though we knew he had gone to jail that night, for DUI, we had no idea that his blood alcohol level was .15!!   At that time in California (and currently I believe) legally drunk was/is .08 Thus .15 translates to  nearly twice the legal limit.  What?? No. NO. That can't be!!  He was a nicely dressed guy, seemingly just a little stunned and perhaps disoriented from the accident.  Added to the fact that he said he worked at the University?? ...

This won't compute!  I was bewildered to be sure.  And then I felt angry... and then saddened...  How could a person of his stature, his level of education, intelligence and position do something so stupid??!! Seriously??? How could he not make a better choice and call a friend or call a cab?? Heck call a tow truck, they'll take you AND your car home!!

Over the next several months we went to court on this matter three times.  Each time our case was continued.  Each time an attorney appeared on the behalf of the 'accused' -- the man who hit us.  Then a day or two prior to our fourth trip to court we received a call from the Humboldt County District Attorney's office telling us that we did not need to be in court.  You see we were, at the time, about a six hour drive from Humboldt visiting family.  The DA's office knew that we were out of town and yet we were going to make the trip to court; we wanted -- no NEEDED -- closure.

She assured us that the case was going to be continued (again) and that she would notify us when the next hearing would be as that would be the opportunity, perhaps, for us to speak and that would be followed by sentencing.  She was wrong.  She called us the day after the hearing and informed us that he had been sentenced.  His Felony DUI charges had been punishable by a few days in jail, $10,000 fine (payable to Humboldt County) and three years probation.

To say we were disappointed doesn't even begin to cover it.  Not because we wanted some horrific punishment but because 1) We were not there because we were told not to attend by the District Attorney's office -- we expect that their information to us should have been correct and in our best interest; 2) We don't believe that the punishment was a deterrent for future repeat behavior -- I do not believe that a man driving and conducting himself at that level with a .15 BAC is a casual drinker;  3) And then -- Not once over those months of court did he actually appear -- an attorney was assigned in his place;  4) And sadly -- Not once over those months or in the years since did he ever contact us to apologize.  I would have expected that from a caring, considerate, moral person; and I doubly expect it from a clergyman.

Another aspect of this whole thing that often comes up in circumstances like this is that there are lawsuits. Yes, we could have sued over the damages, injury, negligence, etc.  However we believed that would have only resulted in the insurance and/or the Diocese paying out (as we believe the Diocese paid for the attorney) and thus would not truly have had any lasting affect on the man actually responsible.

Last year we were in Humboldt County both for work and pleasure.  During our stay we learned that the man who hit us had become the Pastor of a large Catholic Church in Eureka, where we were staying at the time.  Many times I had the urge to call the church -- or just stop by -- and see if I could talk to this man who had touched our lives so deeply in such an abrupt way.

It may seem odd, but there were many reasons that I wanted to talk with him.  As I mentioned earlier -- closure.  To me it was important to tell him that I/we did not hold a grudge and that we're all human -- we all make mistakes.  I wanted him to know that I had been praying for him and hopefully that he had learned from the experience and that at the very minimum if he chose to drink -- don't drive.

Also, through all of this I had never seen the man who hit us and after having spent so many years praying for him I believed that meeting him in person would also be healing to me.   But it was not to be.  I couldn't get the knot out of my stomach long enough to make the call, or just stop by the church.

The date of this accident to which I have been referring:  February 19, 2007 -- So why am I writing this now?  Praying for closure.  We will head back to Humboldt for another visit later this year and I was certain that this time I could do it.  I could make that phone call and have that meeting.  But very early this morning I got a proverbial gut punch -- I found out that the man who hit us had been murdered.

Subsequent to that news, I had a conversation with a very dear friend who shared her understanding that it seemed now that he was gone there would not be closure and that fact would be difficult for me, and for us. Thus writing this post seemed the answer.  Thank you for bearing with me through its length.

It's odd.  Though I never met Reverend Eric Freed, I will undoubtedly remember his name, accompanied by his picture, in my mind forever (courtesy of the internet and national news.)  I feel sad for him and for his family. I don't know the circumstances of the murder -- but does it matter?  A man is dead and another in jail being charged with the crime.  A community is saddened by the loss of a pastor and friend.  A family is devastated over the loss of a brother and son. Through this tragedy that is so much more horrendous than the accident, that we all survived that rainy February night, somehow we'll find closure.

Rest In Peace, Reverend Eric Freed.

In writing this I hope perhaps it may help others to address their needs for closure on certain items in their lives in order to move forward.  Feel free to post here if you'd like.  We always appreciate your comments.

Until next time...

--c--

"You do WHAT to the fish?????"!

Finally!! Back from that field trip and what a doozy it was!! Remember I was telling you about that " been there done that " feeling?  Well we recently took a field trip to the Feather River Fish Hatchery (yes still here in Oroville, CA.)  We've been to the fish hatchery before, a few years back in the Fall when the Salmon were running, but this time was very different. 

The populations of Chinook returning up the Feather River to spawn in the Fall are phenomenal and the season lasts from September through November.  During that time the hatchery maintains spawning facilities for somewhere between 9,000 to 18,000 Salmon -- this process produces, on average 18 to 20 million eggs -- Yes I said MILLION!! Can you imagine??  This hatchery is an essential part of maintaining the sport fishing for the Feather and Sacramento Rivers, AND even contributes to the commercial and sport fishing in the Pacific Ocean.

This time of year Steelhead are running!! So our visit to the fish hatchery was quite a bit calmer than the last time we visited.  Steelhead populations are quite a bit smaller and the run is a shorter period of time, typically December through January.  We had a great "tour" guide, Jana, from the State of California Department of Resources (DWR).  (The DWR was where I called to inquire about tours/field trips, by the way -- a tidbit that might be noteworthy for your 'resource list' -- just sayin'!...) 

As we stood at the viewing window above the spawning area we learned that Steelhead don't die when they spawn, as the Chinook do.  Thus the spawning process involved is much different.  Some of you may know that since the Chinook spawn at the end of their life cycle, the hatchery will anesthetize prior to, then humanely euthanize the fish following collection of, the eggs and milt needed for spawning. 

[SPECIAL NOTE:  Jana shared with us that the meat of the Chinook is not wasted.  It is used through a local program to feed homeless and low income in Butte County.  We thought this was a great community service, and were glad that she shared that tidbit. -- I don't remember that being shared on our previous trip here.  Ahh... another perk of a personal family tour.]

So, back to the Steelhead -- the hatchery worker will introduce the fish into water with higher carbon dioxide to slow down their movement.  The females are then injected with air in order to release the eggs into a tub -- she is then released back into a holding tank until her movement is normal and then released through a shoot back into the river.  As soon as the eggs are expressed from the female, the milt is released from the male into the same bucket and the male is released through the same shoot.

Jana noted that the eggs and milt are mixed quickly and then put into trays and taken to a specially equipped room to be diligently cared for until hatching.  The "nursery" for caring for these fish is amazing!  The record keeping alone is a quite a task, not to mention maintaining water temperatures and tracking each tray for growth, including removal of eggs that fail to thrive. 

Even though the Steelhead population is smaller, they still spawn approximately 2,000 fish each year.  Then the eggs are cared for at the various stages of development, including spending a time in "raceways" as they progress through the stages of "Fry" -- "Fingerlings" -- then "Yearlings" --  It takes many months until they are large enough to be transported via special fish tanker trucks to the San Francisco Bay Delta.

If you'd like to see some video about this I encourage you to visit YouTube and search "Feather River Fish Hatchery" -- You'll see some great video of the fish ladders and get a feel for the numbers and sizes of fish that travel back up the Feather River each year.  It is really amazing to think that the Chinook make the trip from Oroville, at the Feather River Hatchery, down to the San Francisco Bay (and beyond -- some reports as far as Alaska and even Japan!! -- ) and then back again in their life cycle, which averages three to four years. 

It is absolutely ASTOUNDING to think that the Steelhead may make a similar journey several times in their life span of six to nine years; during their life they may spawn between two to four times, on average.  That may not sound like much, but if you take time to look at a map and find Oroville, CA (north of Sacramento and just SE of Chico) then find and follow the Feather River down through the Sacramento River and on to the San Francisco Bay -- Wow!!  And then... think about their ocean travels?? An amazing feat for a fish less than two feet long, don't you think?

One more side note -- I mentioned earlier about searching YouTube for the Feather River Fish Hatchery, and that one of them shows the "fish ladders".  Now there's a term that conjures up mental images akin to a Dr. Seuss drawing, huh? Well, they're not what you think... the fish don't get out of the water and go vertical!  Geesh! Some people... tee hee hee...

The fish ladders were built as a means for the fish to traverse the river that has been impacted by the Oroville Dam (more about the Dam will be in a later blog -- perhaps the next one...?? ) You see, fish in the Salmon family carry genetic markers for where they were born... that is how they navigate their way back to their birthplace for spawning.  Since the placement of the Oroville Dam in the late 1960's has made that rather challenging, the State Water Project incorporated the fish ladders to aid this natural process.

While we didn't take any pictures of the eggs and milt being expressed I did see quite a few cool videos on YouTube, but not sure if I can post without permission -- So I hope you will take time to look up the Feather River Fish Hatchery, Oroville, CA and enjoy the videos.  Until next time...

Enjoy the journey...

--c--

Been There! Done That! ... Or???

I'm trying not to feel frustrated about not posting already, as we HAVE been busy planning field trips and more!  AND ... we have been sick like so many of our friends this time of year.   Glad we're in such good company <<GRIN>>.  Guess at least we're thankful for the internet and being able to put our "down" time to good use = RESEARCH!

 Over the past several weeks we have been visiting family in Northern California.  An  interesting, or perhaps challenging, perspective of considering what to 'See and Do' in this area is that not only have we been visiting in this same area over the past twelve years, we lived here for two years and... it has strong parallels to the area where I grew up, some 70 or so miles Southeast.

Oroville, translated: "City of Gold" is in the Northern Sacramento Valley and was established during the California Gold Rush of 1849.  The parallels to my hometown of Folsom (also in the Sacramento Valley) are 'Amazing!'  Not only were both founded during the Gold Rush, but both are river towns, both had significant Chinese settlements and seemingly grew from virtually nothing in a short period of time due to the influx of "prospectors" seeking their fortunes!!

Oroville Chinese Temple & Garden  (Built: 1863)

 

Both cities not only embrace their heritage in California Gold Rush history, but both have significant railroad history as well and are sites of earthen filled dams that provide hydroelectric power to the Golden State.  Lake Oroville and Folsom Lake are both known far and wide for their multitude of recreational activities just to add another dimension to this brief comparison.

Thus the aforementioned 'familiarities' to not only Oroville, but Butte County, has made me -- and us -- rather complacent about considering what there is to 'See and Do'.  It kind of feels like "Been there, Done that!" If you know what I mean...  Perhaps you can relate?  Do you have places that you have visited on more than one occasion and thus feel like you've pretty much seen it all?

I decided to get back to my roots, so to speak.  I learned at an early age about this wonderful place in our town (almost as awesome as the library... which of course is also a good resource for seeking info...) it was called the "Chamber of Commerce"!  Our Chamber of Commerce was a plethora of information about what to see and do, along with little known facts and trivia, about our town!  So a few days ago... off to the Oroville Chamber of Commerce I went!!

I came home with a handful of brochures about the area that were very helpful to get us started on planning our adventures.  One really cool book is filled with "101 Things to do..."  A few brochures provided resources on 'self guided tours' -- one of Murals -- one called the Greenline Tour, that meanders through town and up to the Oroville Dam -- and another that we found especially enjoyable (thus was our first adventure...) was labeled as a "Walking Tour" but beings as the high for the day was in the 40's we opted to drive and stop at each point on the map.

Planning our Adventure

The tour probably covered a couple of square miles and had us stopping at historic points of interest.  Ian and I (Rich stayed at the trailer as he was sick) simply used our cell phone, dialed a number and punched in three digits as they appeared on the brochure.  Voila!! A short story about the site available at our fingertips!  Great idea!! Kudos to whomever came up with THAT idea!! Loved it!!   Basically you're dialing into a phone system and punching in an extension, so it's possible to dial in from anywhere and hear the information again -- which I intend to do about one site, in particular, that I'd like to do more research on -- but we'll save that for another day!

After our 'driving version' of the Walking Tour, Ian and I went on a hunt to locate some of the many murals around town! They were great fun and gave us a glimpse into the multifaceted history of this little "City of Gold"!  The following day we followed it up with another resource trip: The local branch of the Butte County Library, and a visit with our favorite Librarian -- Heidi!  

So... There ya go!! That's where we started... and over the next few weeks we'll share with you a bit of what there is to 'See and Do' in Oroville, CA (and perhaps the surrounding area of Butte County -- we haven't decided just how far we'll go yet...)  Along the way we will also share with you where we found more resources to determine our 'See and Do' list.  Perhaps you'll discover new appeal to visiting places that you've been before!  And as always... We hope that you too, will...

Enjoy the journey....

--c--

Starting Again...

Again you say?  Well, it rather feels that way... Although we have been living in our RV for over four years we've spent the majority of the time in one place.  I guess I should recap:  November, 2006, Hubby (Rich) was accepted to Humboldt State University (HSU) in Arcata, CA.  Thus we purged the "house and stuff" and packed up the motorhome and in January, 2007, headed to the beautiful North Coast of California.

Over the years the majority of our RV travel has been to visit Hubby's parents in the Sierra Foothills of California.  Until 2010, when we took a three month, ten thousand-plus mile jaunt through 15 states.  We decided to travel light and made the journey in our Suburban, lovingly named the "Nautilus."  It was truly a grand adventure!  We met some wonderful people, saw some awesome sights, learned many new things -- took some breathtaking pictures --  and it left us wanting more.

Hubby returned to HSU for one more semester, and we realized that as much as we have enjoyed living in Humboldt and have made some lifelong friends, it became clear it's time to move on.  While looking at the map, of our 2010 trip, it became readily apparent that we had traveled a 'thin line' through our magnificent country, and in reality what we had experienced was minuscule in comparison to what the world has to offer us. 

So... Starting again...