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a person will experience a car crash once every eighteen years, if you are the average driver, which you most likely are, whether you admit or not. Thus, over the course of your driving lifetime, you will experience approximately at least two car crashes. Dont fret and claim that you will never drive again because most likely, those car crashes are not fatal, perhaps not even injury inducing. Only 41% car crashes result in injury, and less than 1% results in death. Moreover, most of those injuries are minor, not life-changing, for example, bruises, cuts, and fractured bones. Only a small percentage of people experience life-changing car accidentsa small percentage. For me, who constitutes that small percentage, my car crash was life-changing and almost life-threatening. I am the girl who had locked-in syndrome. You may recognize me as the author of 15 Years of Solitude. I never had considered myself to be in the minority. I had always considered myself to be in the majority, except, this time, I was not in the majority. I was in the minoritythe minority that experienced a life-threatening car accident. My car crash resulted in damage to my brain nerves and consequently, led to my locked-in syndrome. I cannot explain exactly what happened because I am still unsure of what exactly happened, myself. Doctors believe it is because my brain trauma. I think it is because my delayed reaction timing. Before my brain realized that I was in a crash, the car crash was already over. Driving on (Route 22) in Nashville on Tuesday, February 4 was like driving in a raceway. Blurs of red, blue, and whites flew by. Trees, bushes, and grass meshed into blobs of green. The wind was howling against my new BMW, a Christmas present from my parents. I loved itthe speed, the color, and most significantly, the freedom from responsibility and the societal expectations and pressure. I loved it, until the silver Volvo racing ahead of me jolted to a stop.

Slamming on the breaks. Too late. Too late. My BMW hit the Volvo. I felt the air rush out of my body, and then back in. I felt nauseous. There was a deep pain in my knees and an even worse pain in my head. I knew I was dead, but it was a mistake to think I was dead. I floated out of my body, but then, I felt myself push outward and fall onto the bumpy pavement. Breathe. Breathe. I think I heard a scream, a small feminine yelp that was oddly suggestive of my yelps. But, it couldnt be. That yelp was different; it had a hint of fear in it. I knew I was not dead. I could not be. Theres a grave pain in my head.