Local Stories by Local People
updated: Oct 09, 2012, 11:03 AM

A 29-year-old Santa Barbara man, who severely injured himself during a residential construction job, passed out behind the wheel of his car Monday morning as he tried to drive himself to the hospital.

Comments in order of when they were received | (reverse order)

COMMENT 329604	2012-10-09 11:27 AM
That is awful. I hope he is okay. The poor guy, wow.
COMMENT 329605	2012-10-09 11:27 AM
A tough call....when to call 911. Obviously this was one time when he should have. Been there...done the same thing he did :(
COMMENT 329606	2012-10-09 11:28 AM
Wow! Rough times. And he ended up in an ambulance anyway. Sometime it is best to phone 9-1-1. Glad no one else was hurt.
COMMENT 329610	2012-10-09 11:36 AM
I wouldn't call 911 either. Those people need some manners training!
COMMENT 329611	2012-10-09 11:42 AM
My husband did the same thing. I wanted to call 911 because I knew he was in shock. He made it OK. Did not realize an ambulance ride (less than a mile from the house) cost $2000.
COMMENT 329612	2012-10-09 11:47 AM
I can empathize with this guy. What he SHOULD have done might not have been clear to him due to shock. If he had someone there with him, maybe they could have kept him from driving himself or called 911 for him. But in the midst of a severe injury like that his adrenaline rush might have fooled him into thinking he could quickly drive there and it would be faster for him and even safer! Glad he's ok and so glad he didn't take anyone else out. That would have been a heck of a thing to live with.
COMMENT 329615P	2012-10-09 11:53 AM
damn, that's a rough day. i hope he fully recovers from his injuries and doesn't suffer too much financial hardship from this. tough to make an honest living these days.
COMMENT 329620P	2012-10-09 12:02 PM
Don't call an ambulance unless you are fully insured with insurance that will cover it. A friend was charged more than $2,000 for a trip of less than two miles to Goleta Hospital. (Obvious exception: if it's a matter of life or death.)
COMMENT 329622	2012-10-09 12:05 PM
615p, he was putting flooring in his own home, so I don't think he'll lose work from this. Hopefully he has health and car insurance, though or that would really suck!
COMMENT 329631	2012-10-09 12:20 PM
Get someone else working at the site to drive you to the hospital?
COMMENT 329637	2012-10-09 12:32 PM
I would have dont the same thing.. I just got charged $2000 for a non emergency ambulace transport... Privete ambulance companies are such a RIPOFF !!
COMMENT 329649	2012-10-09 12:54 PM
620 - Really? How much do you think rolling your truck, a crash and ending up in an ambulance anyway cost this guy?
COMMENT 329655	2012-10-09 01:14 PM
Sadly the thought of a massive bill may have influenced this guys decision to drive himself. We wouldn't think of charging individuals to call a fire truck or the police why is healthcare not treated the same way. Surely emergency healthcare is for the greater good. We need to take our healthcare out of the hands of profit making corporations.
COMMENT 329697	2012-10-09 02:41 PM
Poor guy! I hope he makes a full recovery.
COMMENT 329703	2012-10-09 02:53 PM
The homeless get to ride in ambulances all day for 'drunk down', overdoes, etc. Why don't average citizens????
COMMENT 329708	2012-10-09 03:13 PM
So sad a responsible person with good, honest intentions got in this jam, while losers suck resources from the system with no remorse. Get well soon, Mr.
DELILAH	2012-10-09 05:07 PM
sheesh - poor guy. Wrecked his truck, wrecked his face. I betcha that floor is going to be gorgeous though! Spit happens, guy did what he thought he could do and it turns out it was an over-estimation. Peace, brother. Hope you heal quick and true.
SBJULES	2012-10-09 06:05 PM
Poor guy. Hope life takes a better turn for him.
COMMENT 329784	2012-10-09 06:28 PM
I was going to say he was probably trying to avoid the $900 ambulance ride but I see I'm late to the party. And the cost of a ride has gone up considerably.
COMMENT 329851P	2012-10-09 11:21 PM
Sometimes you just can't win. At least at age 29 he'll heal quickly. This will make a good story to tell, throughout the rest of his life. He was working on his own flooring. Us do-it-yourselfers gotta take extra care, especially when working alone.
FLICKA	2012-10-10 09:33 AM
Glad you removed the incredibly rude comment. Would love to hear an explaination from snarky posters as to why they feel compelled to be crude.
ANIMALLISTNER	2012-10-10 10:25 AM
Whatever he is reason was, lets all hope he is going to be okay and recovers soon.

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