Hi, guys, it’s been a while since I’ve wrote anything on this blog. I had a spurt of work on – lots of voice over stuff, including an audio book, a couple of blogs and a book trailer, plus filming the comedy crime caper, Bellevue News up in Edinburgh for a couple of weeks. It was nearing the end of filming when disaster struck. After a night shoot, I was driving back to my hotel for some much needed rest at 1am when my car broke down. Nightmare, but not the end of the world. I called for breakdown recovery and was very kindly helped by the local constabulary, helping me push the car to a nearby layby to make sure I was safe and not waiting on the hard shoulder of the dual carriageway. 10 minutes after the police left, while I was stood away from my car googling nearby garages, a car thinking the layby was a turnoff decided to swing into the layby at 70mph, hitting my car, which in turn cannoned like the boulder from Raiders of the Lost Ark into me. It seemed to last for minutes, but was only seconds. I was engulfed by blackness with a roaring screeching noise surrounding me, hearing my voice repeating, ‘Oh, God, oh, God’, feeling metal tear against my head, being tossed around like a ragdoll. Then it was suddenly over and I staggered to my feet, blood gushing from my head. I started some 6 feet in front of my car and ended up around 10 feet behind it. The car was a twisted wreck and I had somehow gone over or under it. The other car was stopped, also wrecked about 100 feet further ahead of my car. My first thought was to call my wife, Vanessa. I had called her earlier to let her know that I had broken down and I knew that she would be beside herself with worry the longer she failed to hear from me. The other drive came over in deep shock, battered, but otherwise not too bad. As he apologised repeatedly he helped me find my phone by ringing it. Amazingly it was completely undamaged. As this was going on another car hit the debris from both cars and came to a sudden halt. Unhurt, he quickly came over and called police and ambulance. I was rushed to hospital and the gravity of everything started to sink in. The paramedic and police officer both said that they could not believe that I had survived such a horrific crash.
I’m battered, a few hairline fractures, new scar on the forehead, bad ligament damage to a knee, but amazingly ok given the severity of the crash. I should’ve died that night, but someone was looking out for me, I guess. Maybe I used up several of my nine lives, I don’t know. Every now and then, I still see every drawn out moment of the crash and feel that darkness and roaring noise all around me. Jesus, I’m so fucking lucky. Seriously fucking unlucky to be hit like that in the first place, of course, but so bloody lucky to survive. It could’ve so easily been lights out and good night muchachos.
But, I’m here. I’m rehearsing for the new play, Sex Is Hard Work. Hopefully the dates in November won’t get delayed due to further lockdowns, but that’s out of our control. We just have to keep on living our lives. That’s all that matters. Spend time with your friends and family. Tell them you love them ALL the time, because one day might be the last.
I’ve now got new headshots, sporting the new scar, thanks to the uber talented photographer, Jason Goldhawk. Here’s one of them below. Life goes on. Much love.
Just glad you’re okay, Rod. You’re a brave but strong man. Glad the story had a happy ending though, despite a scar or two. Take good cares, mate.
Your mate, John.
Cheers, John, I really appreciate that.