The Accident
09:30 PM, December 28, 2017. Jay was on his way home from a dinner, driving his car and carrying a passenger. Some snow and freezing temperatures were on their way, but for now the weather was clear and the surface of the road was dry. At a distance of just 6 minutes from home, the car went off the road on a straight section. The speed limit was 40 mph (about 64 km/h). Some four or five meters off of the roadway there was a sturdy, white fence. Judging by the tire tracks, Jay probably just had begun to turn the car towards the road again when it struck the fence. Several heavy posts went through the windshield and even continued out through the rear window of the car.
One of the posts hit Jay in the head.
The car made a “S” shape and struck the fence again. This time the car stopped. Jay was not conscious and his foot was still on the gas pedal, but wood from the fence was jammed into one of the front wheels and the tire was shredded. The passenger, having just been scratched by a post, immediately turned off the engine and got out to open the doors to vent out smoke. Then went to flag for help, but got overwhelmed by the situation. A woman driving by stopped to assist and called for an ambulance.
They were thinking about sending a helicopter and transport Jay to Baltimore, but ultimately decided to send ambulances and take Jay (and the passenger) to the local Suburban Hospital in Maryland. It took about five minutes for the ambulances to arrive to the scene. Before the paramedics could provide Jay with oxygen they had to remove him from the car, put him in a harness, and get the equipment to work properly with the injury he had sustained to his head.
The car turned around 180 degrees (from the motor vehicle crash report):
One week later. Visible tire track marked in red. The car kind of drifted off road.
1: First impact spot. 2: Second impact spot.
A drive-by video of the accident site. Notice the ditch between the road and the fence.
In conclusion, the most likely scenario is that Jay drowsed off and fell asleep at the wheel. At first, the transition from the road to the terrain probably was subtle. He may not have woken up before the ditch in between the road and the fence, giving him just a fraction of a second to respond. In addition, loosing some traction by going over the ditch and “hitting” the elevation on the other side may have impaired the steering capability. Upon waking up, Jay simply may have been in a situation impossible to resolve without hitting the fence even though he was a skilled driver and his reflexes were extraordinary quick.
