***A one-vehicle rollover approximatly eight miles north of Greybull early Saturday morning sent two men, ages 18 and 19, to the intensive care unit of Deaconess Hospital in Bllings, where they are still hospitalized for injuries they substained in the mishap.
Shawn Dickenson, an 18 year-old Greybull High School senior, sustained massive head injuries and was still listed in critical condition early Wednesday morning, while the only other passenger in his vehicle, 19 year-old Jason Vannasdale of Greybull, was said to be in serious condition with a sever spinal injury.
Shawns father, Casey Dickenson, said late Tuesday night that his son was still in a coma, but that doctors are encouraged by some of the signs they are seeing. "Hes getting more feeling, and moving arounsd a little more," said Dickenson. "He still connot open his eyes, but when the nurse opens them, theyre clear, and not glazed over like they were yesturday and the day before. They say thatsan encouraging sign."
Dickenson said doctors are trying to reduce the swelling and pressure around the outside of his sons brain. The brain itself, according to Dickenson, was not injured. In addition to the head injury, Dickenson said doctors believe his son might also have a cracked rib.
Casey Dickinson said his son cant breathe on his own, but that doctors have him on life spport because with the machine doing the breathing for him, "thats one less thing for him to do, that way, he can use his energy elsewhere."
As for immediate future, Dickinson said the doctors dont know what to expect. "If they could get his eyes open, they would know alot more," he said. "Realistically, though, what theyre telling us is that he could wake up in a week, or that he might never wake up."
Laura Grisham Vannasdale, Jason's wife, said Tuesday that her husband underwent surgery for internal bleeding at Washakie Medical Center in Worland before being transported to the Billings hospital, where he underwent a surgical proceadure to fuse the fifth and sixth vertebrae of his spine.
Vannasdale said her husband is expected to be paralyzed from the waist down. He is also expected to remain hopitalized for at least the next three weeks, after which time the family - Laura is expecting her first child around the middle of June - is expected to move to Las Vegas.
Dickinson said he and his family members greatly appreciate everything the people of Greybull are doing for them, adding that quite a few visitors, many of them Shawns friends from high school, have already been up to see him. Hes urging people not to send flowers, pointing out that, "Shawn cant see them" and "the nurses wont let them in the room anyway."
According to Laura Vannasdale, she and her husband have no medical insurance, She is trying to arrange a medical fund for people wishing to help.
If she does so, details of how and where people can contribute to it will appear in this newspaper.
This accident occurred........
***
This is the 2nd part of the newspaper article from my car accident. This is taken from the Greybull Standard in Greybull, Wy where i lived at the time on May 14th 2000. The following is the article incase you cant read the picture.
***shortly after midnight on Saturday, May 13, on Crystal Creek Road, approximatly eight miles north of Greybull, when Dickinson's 1981 Subaru sedan, which according to authorities was being driven "at a high rate of speed,"went off the shoulder of the roadwhile negotiating a left turn, rolled eight times and ended up on its wheels. Neither Dickinson nor Vannasdale had been wearing seat belts, and as a result, both were ejected from the vehicle.
According to Big Horn County Sheriff's Deputy Jerry Dart, the investigating officer, a cell phone call shortly after 12am was received from one of several people who came upon the accident scene after leaving a party at an undisclosed location further north on Crystal Creek Road.
Dart said Dickinson and Vannasdale had left the party a short time earlier in Dickinson's Subaru. Witnesses put Dickinson behind the wheel. Moments earlier, another vehicle driven by an undisclosed male and occupied by Laura Vannasdale, left the scene of the party.
According to Dart, Laura Vannasdale that him that the Subaru driven by Dickinson passed the vehicle which she was riding "at a high rate of speed" on the dirt road, heading south toward Greybull. Vannasdale said her vehicle came upon the accident scene about four miles from where they had left the party.
A third vehicle arrived on the scene a short time later. The driver of that vehicle had a cell phone and used it to phone the accident report in to authorities, who received the call at 12:12am.
The caller remained in contact with Deputy Dart while the officer was responding from north of Lovell. Dart and the caller maintained cell phone contact , allowing the deputy and other responding ambulance and emergency personnel to locate the accident with minimal difficulty in the dark, desolate area.
Deputy Dart said high speeds and alcohol were major contributing factors in the accident.
This is Me & My Dad(Phil). This picture was taken a week after my accident.
This is Me & Ex-Wife(Laura). This picture was taken a week after my accident.
This is Me & My Mom(Carol). This picture was taken a week after my accident.
This is Me . This picture was taken a the day after my accident.
This is Me . This picture was taken a the day after my accident.
This is Me . This picture was taken a the day after my accident.
This is Me Now. This picture was taken January 1, 2003.