Six Star Magazine Six Star Magazine Spring 2015 | Page 45

SU B A R U STA R C USTOME R Subaru driver walks away – with his life by richard rotman On January 7, 2015, Graham Sharp larger one — I was crushed from behind by A crowd soon gathered around the sent out an unexpected tweet of thanks a tri-axle gravel truck. I was tossed around wreckage, a group of concerned citizens that reverberated from coast-to-coast: inside the car like a rag doll. All of the air looking to help out in any way possible. “@ AskSubaruCanada this happened bags deployed and then… silence.” Surveying the extent of the damage, no yesterday and I walked away. Who can I email to thank!? I have my life because of it.” This is when his training as a firefighter kicked in; his reflexes, honed from years of Accompanying the 96-character one could believe that the driver of this particular vehicle was unscathed — it seemed utterly impossible. Yet, there he note was a photograph of a car so mangled was, standing in front of them, recounting and misshapen, it defied logic — it was what had happened moments earlier. certainly unrecognizable as a Subaru, let The next day, Graham saw his car again; alone the 2011 Subaru Impreza that Graham it had been carted away from Highway 11 was driving when things went sideways. on a flatbed. It wasn’t until then that things A day earlier, on a notoriously really hit home for him, it wasn’t until then treacherous stretch of Highway 11 just that he began to appreciate how truly lucky north of Barrie, Ontario, he found himself he had been. “Despite having an obvious navigating through a sudden snowstorm. angel on my shoulder,” he notes, “I would From years of living in the Bracebridge area, helping others in similar situations, were be foolish not to admit that the science and he had seen many accidents on that very called upon in his own moment of need. design that went into my vehicle was stretch of road. From his experience as a Graham first wondered whether he had a huge factor in me being here today.” volunteer firefighter, he had witnessed the been paralyzed in the crash, so he gave devastation these accidents had caused. himself a quick test: “I wiggled my toes “Visibility was almost non-existent,” he recalls. “Then, all of a sudden, the snow and saw that my nerves were working.” He then set his sights on a new objective stopped and I could see.” What he saw were — getting out of his Impreza as quickly as cars scattered everywhere in front of him — possible, There was still the chance that in the ditch, against the guardrail, against another wave of out-of-control vehicles each other, everywhere. “I slammed on the might be hurtling towards him. He couldn’t brakes and the ABS kicked in. I was able take that chance — he needed to move, he to manoeuvre around three vehicles, but needed to get away. couldn’t avoid another impact. A gravel truck hit the driver’s side of my car — hard.” Fortunately, this ݅́