The 101 Bridge

**

I was heading home, southbound on the 101, listening to Neil Young weave his stories, as the sun began to melt slowly into the early evening clouds. Traffic was raging as everyone hurried along, making their way home for another end of the week. Down time, family time, my time. All the things I had been planning to accomplish before the work week came back around. Though busy, everything seemed to be moving along smoothly.

I looked down for a moment to lower the top on my old mustang, hoping to release any work related stress out and free it into the breeze before beginning my weekend. Playfully drifting back and forth, in between the other cars, completely at peace with this pace.

As I begin the approach the soon to be, Wallis Annenberg Wildlife Crossing, and I noticed a figure standing at the top. Not just any figure, but a human figure, which is odd, because when it is finally completed, is meant for wildlife to cross, not people.

Before I could react, the figure jumps headlong from the crossing directly in front of my car and into the onslaught of oncoming traffic, the heaviest traffic of the week, nonetheless.

I don't recall ever needing to hit the brakes of my car so hard before, it was like watching the Indy 500 from the pits, my tires squealed and the rubber burned, as I maneuvered around the other drivers, also reacting to the situation. Thankfully, I did not hit the man as he fell and as soon as I was able, I pulled to the side of the road, others are stopping too.

I have 911 on the line while I run to the side of the injured man. Because I am the first on the scene, while talking to dispatch, I am also yelling directions to the other drivers, asking them to slow and direct the oncoming traffic away from the scene. They arranged their cars like an old western, circling the wagons, creating a barrier around myself and the jumper, protecting us from further injury.

Another driver asks how they can help and I hand over my phone, so I am able to have both hands free to do what the rescuerer on the phone might ask of me. The injured man was on his right side, and in really bad shape. Just then, I remembered hearing that you should never move someone that was injured, to save from causing further damage, so I waited for instructions from the angel on the other side of the phone.

The operator asked me about his condition, whether he was breathing or talking to which I stated I that he was breathing, but it was thready and his entire body was twitching, which caused his arms and legs to move involuntarily, like a fish out of water or baby bird that had fallen from the tree.

Addrenline must have kicked in because when she asked me to describe his condition I was able to formulate the words to tell her his head resembled a melon that had been dropped. After a slight pause, she tells me to take my shirt off and wrap it around his head, I think it was as much for me as it was for him. It would cover the wound and keep things in tact until help arrived.

I placed his head in my lap and tried to look for answers in his face, both of us covered in his blood. After a few moments, he took what I perceived, to be his last breath, and his body went quiet.

About that time I can hear the emergency crews finally making their way through the heavily congested traffic to where we were. They can see me holding his head and they ask me to do my best to keep him still, as they began to roll him over to perform CPR. But I already know, and it doesn't take them long for them to see, it is too late.