The saddest story so far

John and Rita have been to Las Vagas to celebrate John's 70th birthday.


They have always wanted to travel abroad and never ventured further than the occasional trip to France on the ferry. John is particularly excited to go as he always wanted to try the slots in the famous casinos.


Their children are now grown and left home and they finally have the funds and more importantly, the excuse to go on the trip of a lifetime.


On their return journey the long flight is uneventful, Rita and John even manage to grab a few hours sleep, even with the cramped seats on modern aircraft.


At the airport, the usual hanging around takes it's course, as they wait for the baggage to be unloaded and then the somber walk back to the car and reality. It has been a long journey and they are both looking forward to getting home to tell friends and family about the trip and share the photo's.


Rita gets behind the wheel to drive the 2 hr journey home, she is tired after their long flight but they will be home soon, with suitcases of washing and fond memories to look back on. John puts the radio on to catch up on what has been happening while they have been away. As they pull out of the terminal car park into the traffic flow, the end of their holiday is now a reality.

The journey down the motorway is typically monotonous, the dual carriageway they turn onto does not offer any additional stimulation, John is dozing in the passenger seat as the countryside passes by at a steady 70mph.

The road is straight and the traffic is light, the radio continues to repeat the same headlines every half an hour, it has not taken long for Rita to be up to date with going's on at home and she is no longer really listening to the commentary from the presenter, the songs are becoming more like background music she is vaguely aware of. She is feeling tired now but not long to go and they will be home with a nice cup of tea. Rita is not aware how her concentration levels are falling, how her eyelids are becoming more heavy and how more frequently she is yawning. With each yawn she closes her eyes briefly, it's a nice feeling, The day is sunny and the car interior is nice and warm, it's a familiar environment as the car speeds down the dual carriageway without effort, it does not take long for sleep to catch up with Rita.

It takes some time for their car to come to a stop after leaving the dual carriageway at 70mph and hitting the bridge support head on. The impact sends the car into a violent spin which causes the drivers front wheel and suspension to collapse, it has not been designed to take this lateral force. With all the rain we have had the ground has become softened and as the wheel collapses the front of the car digs into the ground causing it to flip end over end, finally coming to rest on it's roof.

We have been on scene for 50 mins now and I am aware of the 'Golden Hour' which is critical for trauma victims to stand the best chance of survival. I need to get her to hospital. Rita is shocked and does not seem to know what has happened, I keep busy reassuring her and attending to her injuries all the while silently praying she does not come to enough to ask about her husband's condition.

John is still in his seat, hanging from his seat belt. We have already declared him life extinct as soon as we arrived on scene. Other emergency services will deal with his body.

I block from my mind the horror of what she surely must feel when she is finally told of her husband's condition. Traffic is getting heavy as we approach rush hour and I need to concentrate on getting this patient to hospital as quick as possible. Feelings are to be put into the box and filed, I have a job to do.