Hello everyone. If you have been a member for a long time, then you probably have seen this before. This will be the 19th year I have posted this on BHO.  This is the anniversary of my motorcycle accident. On this day traditionally, I post a story my grandfather wrote about that day.

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I will never forget July 23, 1974

This is the date our precious Grandson was struck by a car on his motorcycle, by a man named Oscar Newby, who was a hit and run driver, or either stopped and went ahead.

On this date the last thing that Randy helped me do was to load an air conditioner in the car, and I thought to myself what a strong boy he was, and always a sweet boy.

This is what happened after we ate supper. Randy went out and got his motorcycle. Lola Mae and I were watching the news on TV. A few minutes after 6:00 P.M. on Tuesday July 23, 1974, Leonard Pigg came up to our house, and it was evident by his actions that something was wrong.

Lola Mae went to the door, I was standing behind when Leonard said Randy is laying up on Butler Hill badly hurt, and he told us we should call an Ambulance. Lola Mae called the Ambulance, and we went up to Butler Hill where Randy was seriously injured. I hope I never have to look at another sight like that, our little Grandson lay on the Highway 158, his left leg completely broke off a few inches above the ankle and badly mangled from above the knee. His left shoulder dislocated, and his left arm broken below the shoulder, and a concussion and badly bruised all over his body.

Leonard had left his house to go put some calves with the cows up at John Gray's. As he was coming toward John Gray's from BB Road and 158, he saw something laying in the road on Butler Hill. He said at first he thought someone had lost something out of a pickup truck, but as he got closer he saw it was a body, and when he got to the scene, he saw it was Randy.

He couldn't leave Randy, so he could come and notify us, so he stayed with Randy until Leroy Murray came along on his tractor.

Leonard left Leroy with Randy, then he came to our house to notify us.

Leroy and Leonard applied a tourniquet on Randy's leg. Leroy also pinched the large vessel in Randy's leg to help stop the bleeding.

Leroy, Leonard and myself done everything we could do including praying, until the Ambulance got there. It seemed like quite a while before the Ambulance got there, but thank God the Ambulance had a registered nurse with it which saved Randy's life.

Mrs. Baker a nurse herself, and the R.N. with the Ambulance, and myself went in the Ambulance with Randy.

The nurse said Randy had good blood pressure and pulse at the scene of the accident, but before we got him to the Doctors Hospital, he had no pulse and his heart stopped beating. The R.N. hit him in the chest to start his heart. He had oxygen on but lost so much blood he liked to passed away.

The Ambulance driver Bob Floata, and his wife called ahead to the Hospital, and had everything ready for Randy including fluid and Dr. Reddy.

Dorothy came to the Hospital, and the Dr.and nurses told her Randy's leg would have to be amputated which at first she did not want to do, but looked at Randy's leg and saw that it was necessary to do.

Randy was given 8 pints of blood and later during the operation was given another pint a total of 9 pints. They say that 10 pints is all you have normally.

Randy was unconscious for 24 hours and incoherent for several days after, but he began a rapid recovery being a strong boy, and the desire to want to live.

Me in wheel chair

Motorcycle

Edited by - MoPac fan on 07/23/2026 16:28:55