Wreck victim says God watching over him

By JUSTIN HARMON/Staff

High speeds and tons of metal can be a bad mix. For proof, just look at the July 21 wreck that stopped traffic on Interstate 81 and brought in three hydraulic cutting unites and a MedFlight helicopter.
For the 19-year-old caught up in the mess, however, it was proof that someone was watching over him.
Brian Hayes of Whitetop was on his way to Abingdon and called to tell his mother, Melissa Hayes, that he was on his way home. Five minutes later, his mother got another call, this one from her husband, saying their son had been in a serious accident.
“It was shocking when his girlfriend called and said they were cutting him out of the vehicle,” she said.
Hayes said he was trying to get on the interstate when a car in front of a tractor-trailer rig slammed on its brakes, causing the transport truck to do the same. Hayes didn’t have time to react.
“It happened too fast to think about anything,” he said. “I don’t remember how loud it was or how hard I hit.”
Hayes’ Durango slid under the rear end of the tractor-trailer, taking out the crash bar, violently crumpling the front end and pinning his legs beneath the steering wheel. MedFlight was called in and landed on the interstate. It sprinted Hayes to Bristol Regional Medical Center.
Melissa got to the hospital just after her husband and Hayes’ girlfriend. She was relieved to find that the worst of Hayes’ injuries was a cut to the chin.
And luck had nothing to do with it, Hayes said. God was watching out for him.
Though Hayes walked away with only some bruising and a few cuts to show for it, he’s well aware of just how bad it could have been. Hayes, an EMT and a volunteer firefighter with the Mt. Rogers Rescue Squad and Mt. Rogers Fire Department, respectively, has seen his fair share of crashes, including those that were fatal. But the carnage that he and is vehicle went through is something new to him.
“That vehicle is tore up more than any I’ve ever seen,” he said.
He walked away from the worst accident he’s ever seen.
“I’m still shook up, but not real bad,” he said. “I can look at the pictures and stuff.”
Melissa said that she was happy to see her son not much worse than before the crash, but she said it didn’t really sink in until the evening news.
“I’m still in shock. When they gave his name on the evening news, I just broke down. I think that even now he could not be here,” she said. “You never know when you wake up if that will be your last day.”
Melissa said that she was also grateful for all the people that called to check up on Hayes after his accident.
“A lot of people think a lot of him. You don’t realize that until something happens,” she said.
While Hayes said that he’s not changing his plans due to the accident (he’s starting paramedic school in August at Virginia Highlands Community College and he’s marrying his girlfriend on April 19), his outlook is different. He said he doesn’t think he’ll be able to look at another accident the same way again. Mostly, though, he’s just happy.
“I’m definitely more thankful to be here,” he said.
Justin Harmon can be reached at 628-7101 or