Last Sunday morning while driving north bound on US 27 I was on the way to do a Tournament out of Belle Glade on Lake Okeechobee when an eighteen wheeler cut across in front of me. The truck darted out in front of me so quickly that I had no other option than to hit him. It's amazing how the mind becomes so aware of everything in moments like that when you are frantically trying to escape the inevitable. I keep reliving that moment before the collision over and over in my mind like a slow motion movie. After breaking briefly I must have hit him going about sixty miles per hour. I probably flipped once or twice by the look of my truck and the guard rail. By the grace of god I am not dead. I truly believe that If I weren't wearing my seat belt or If I would have hit that truck any differently that I wouldn't be here to write this. After climbing out of the driver side window I started looking for my boat and noticed the trailer next to the truck, but didn't see the boat anywhere until I glanced out towards the canal next to the road. My boat that I was towing flew about sixty yards and landed in the middle of a canal, because of combination of the morning low light and the fact that I wasn't thinking properly it looked like a mirage floating in the distance and it was as if she were beckoning me for one more day of fishing just one more day. Both my truck and boat were completely destroyed.There will not be one more day with that boat or truck.
The truck driver was walking around and he didn't seem too hurt so hopefully he was okay. I am very sore and feel as if I was the loser in an MMA fight. I don't have any major lacerations and no broken bones. Now it's just about recuperating. Hopefully, I will be back on the water soon.
Capt. Thadeus Ragan
www.gladesbassin.com
