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<p>[QUOTE=&quot;The Penny Lady®, post: 2412233, member: 16948&quot;]This show report will be different than any of my previous ones.&nbsp; While it will include a limited report and photos on the Central States Coin show, as some of you may know, my wonderful crazy fun loving Evil Knievel hubby Lou was in a horrible off-road accident in Baja the day I arrived in Chicago.&nbsp; That of course greatly affected my focus during the show so I didn’t take nearly as many photos as I usually would.&nbsp; And believe me, if I had known on Tuesday what I slowly learned throughout the week, I would have turned right around and headed back home.</p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p>I know many of you follow my show reports and I am grateful for all the friends and acquaintances I’ve met through this forum, so even though most of this report will be off topic, I thought you might be interested in what happened.&nbsp; So if you will indulge me, I’d like to chronicle the events of last week, including some true miracles, and how this event has greatly affected our lives, at least for the next several months, including my attendance at future coin shows.</p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p>Last week right after I left for the PNNA Tukwila/Seattle show, Lou and his race team finished preparations and headed to Ensenada for the NORRA Mexican 1000 race which is actually a 1300+ mile, 4-day off-road race from Ensenada to Cabo (NORRA is an older, less “prestigious” version of the Baja 1000).&nbsp; He has done this race twice already and has a dedicated race team that supports him all the way.</p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p>This is Lou making one last check of his car before they loaded it onto the trailer.&nbsp; Please note that he has to climb in through the roof, rather than the window, due to the reinforced center supports attached to the double roll-bar.&nbsp; This extra support will become very significant later in this story.</p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><img src="http://i441.photobucket.com/albums/qq139/thepennylady/2016%2004%20Central%20States/IMG_5298_zpsr972tgfm.jpg" class="bbCodeImage wysiwygImage" alt="" unselectable="on" /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p>As a little background, the team which consists of 7 of Lou’s friends, mostly other Southern California Edison guys, arrived in Ensenada on Friday to get everything ready, get through tech inspection on Saturday, and join in the street fair they have where everyone can view the cars in the race.&nbsp; This is Lou’s car (he’s the one in the back pushing, his two navigators, Steve and Rich, are on either side of the car).</p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><img src="http://i441.photobucket.com/albums/qq139/thepennylady/2016%2004%20Central%20States/IMG_0645_zpslrxtel3l.png" class="bbCodeImage wysiwygImage" alt="" unselectable="on" /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><img src="http://i441.photobucket.com/albums/qq139/thepennylady/2016%2004%20Central%20States/13094384_10208010641257187_4208921618775411153_n_zpstfoxwnzu.jpg" class="bbCodeImage wysiwygImage" alt="" unselectable="on" /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p>The race began on Sunday morning.&nbsp; Lou and his team got off to a great start.&nbsp; Each day, the races race from one checkpoint to another, spending the night at each checkpoint town, then starting again the next morning, ending on Wednesday.&nbsp; NORRA keeps track of each racer’s time between each check point.&nbsp; You’re able to track each car on a website via the car’s GPS, which I did.&nbsp; The website let me know exactly where they were, how fast they were going, and what place they currently were in.&nbsp; I checked it frequently.</p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><img src="http://i441.photobucket.com/albums/qq139/thepennylady/2016%2004%20Central%20States/13087369_10208011347794850_4213769182957320725_n_zps62bhq3ya.jpg" class="bbCodeImage wysiwygImage" alt="" unselectable="on" /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p>So I got back from the Tukwila show that Sunday, had Monday off to quickly catch up on paperwork, then left on Tuesday for Chicago, again checking the tracker as often as I could.&nbsp; I knew from the last two years, that if they were stopped for any length of time, there could be a problem, either mechanical or otherwise.&nbsp; So far, Sunday and Monday they were killing it!</p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p>Before my flight left for Chicago on Tuesday, I continued to check the tracker, so far so good.&nbsp; As usual, I was looking forward to the show in Chicago, seeing my friends, having some of Chicago’s great food, and buying and selling my coins.</p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><img src="http://i441.photobucket.com/albums/qq139/thepennylady/2016%2004%20Central%20States/IMG_5322_zpsevw8xf5w.jpg" class="bbCodeImage wysiwygImage" alt="" unselectable="on" /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p>I arrived in a rainy cloudy Chicago (which I don’t mind because we haven’t seen much rain in OC) Tuesday afternoon.</p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><img src="http://i441.photobucket.com/albums/qq139/thepennylady/2016%2004%20Central%20States/IMG_5328_zpsyjbrt4m2.jpg" class="bbCodeImage wysiwygImage" alt="" unselectable="on" /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p>I always love seeing the gorgeous light show they have over the walkway between terminals at O’Hare!</p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><img src="http://i441.photobucket.com/albums/qq139/thepennylady/2016%2004%20Central%20States/IMG_5337_zpse3g7ihlk.jpg" class="bbCodeImage wysiwygImage" alt="" unselectable="on" /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p>I checked in at the Renaissance, which is a beautiful hotel and is connected to the convention center.</p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><img src="http://i441.photobucket.com/albums/qq139/thepennylady/2016%2004%20Central%20States/IMG_5341_zpsmyjupycs.jpg" class="bbCodeImage wysiwygImage" alt="" unselectable="on" /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><img src="http://i441.photobucket.com/albums/qq139/thepennylady/2016%2004%20Central%20States/IMG_5419_zpskutw6uku.jpg" class="bbCodeImage wysiwygImage" alt="" unselectable="on" /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p>When I got to my room, this nice bottle of wine soon arrived.&nbsp; I still have no idea who sent it!</p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><img src="http://i441.photobucket.com/albums/qq139/thepennylady/2016%2004%20Central%20States/IMG_5393_zpsar1xgoww.jpg" class="bbCodeImage wysiwygImage" alt="" unselectable="on" /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p>After settling into my room, Rick and I headed over to the Grand Victoria Casino in Elgin to play some cards.</p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><img src="http://i441.photobucket.com/albums/qq139/thepennylady/2016%2004%20Central%20States/IMG_5342_zps0ybsgt1l.jpg" class="bbCodeImage wysiwygImage" alt="" unselectable="on" /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p>We waited briefly for some seats to open on the poker table, and no sooner had I set my chips down at my spot when my cell phone rang, so I stepped away to take the call.&nbsp; It was about 6pm.&nbsp; Lou’s best friend Jeff and one of his pit crew team members said “Lou’s car went off a cliff,” those exact words.&nbsp; Knowing Jeff as I do, and him knowing how adventurous my hubby is, I just knew he was kidding and told him to knock it off.&nbsp; He repeated that statement, and again I said it wasn’t funny.&nbsp; But when he told me the third time, it sunk in that he wasn’t joking.&nbsp; I asked for more information but he said he didn’t have any but wanted to let me know because he knew I was tracking their car and would be worried.&nbsp; My heart sank, I was in shock.</p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p>This is what I was told, at least as I remember it.&nbsp; The team was in La Paz which was the Tuesday check point and were waiting for Lou and Rich to arrive (Rich was Lou’s navigator at that time, he switched off with Steve every half day).&nbsp; They learned about the accident from listening to radio chatter.&nbsp; However, all they knew at that time was “Car 161 went off a cliff about 100 miles from La Paz, and they are sending in a helicopter.”&nbsp; That’s basically all the information they had for quite a while.&nbsp; Then they heard over the next several hours in bits and pieces, through translators from various sources, that the two were hurt, broken legs, broken hands, unconscious, one was hurt worse than the other but they didn’t know who.&nbsp; Gratefully, they relayed to me whatever information they heard, but everyone was still frantically trying to get specifics, through officials, or anyone.</p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p>Finally about 1am, they called and told me that Lou and Rich were able to talk, that Lou was more seriously hurt than Rich.&nbsp; We heard later that Rich was able to climb out of the buggy but Lou was not.&nbsp; Lou had been knocked out, had a concussion (his helmet was cracked), but was awake and had been picked up at the crash site by the helicopter, was being flown to an awaiting ambulance on the highway, and then driven by ambulance to the hospital in La Paz.&nbsp; Various members of the team were keeping me informed all along the way.&nbsp; They called me when Lou arrived at the hospital about 2am, and I asked if I could talk to Lou.&nbsp; As soon as the doctor was finished examining him, I finally got to speak to him.&nbsp; Lou was his usual “I’m fine, don’t worry” self, but sounded slurred and groggy.&nbsp; However, he seemed to have all his faculties, so I was very relieved and grateful.&nbsp; Rich was transported to the hospital after Lou, but because it had gotten dark and the helicopter couldn’t fly at night, he had to be helped down the ravine, then taken by off road vehicle to the highway where an ambulance took him to the hospital.</p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p>Later that morning (Wednesday) before I headed over to the show, I checked to see what flights I could take to La Paz, just in case Lou had more severe injuries.&nbsp; However, once I got to the show, one of the team guys called me and told me the doctors said Lou had no serious injuries, his fingers on one had were cut up a bit, he was very sore and bruised, his neck was also sore, but that was all, <i>no broken bones</i>. I had asked them to make sure the doctors checked his neck thoroughly because Lou already had a plate connecting C-4/5/6 from an accident 20 years ago, ironically also in Mexico. I breathed a huge sigh of relief when they confirmed the x-rays showed all was fine.&nbsp; They also said Rich had a minor fracture below his knee, the doctors put him in a boot, and though he was bruised and sore, he too was good to go.&nbsp; The team immediately made arrangements for Lou and Rich (as well as Steve and the wife of another friend who helped Lou tremendously) fly home the next day (Thursday) from Cabo which was about 100 miles south of La Paz.&nbsp; Here are the guys on their way out of the hospital.</p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><img src="http://i441.photobucket.com/albums/qq139/thepennylady/2016%2004%20Central%20States/IMG_5366_zpsg1em3c4z.jpg" class="bbCodeImage wysiwygImage" alt="" unselectable="on" /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p>Several of the team members sent me photos of the wrecked car, most of which were taken by Rich at the crash site before he was taken to the hospital.&nbsp; The team was told that they didn’t have the equipment (a crane) to get the car back up to the top of the cliff so they decided to hire local workers to remove and retrieve as many parts of the car as they could and to just abandon the chassis there on the side of the mountain.&nbsp; You’ll notice the roll bar was severely dented but held up, <b>due to that extra reinforced triangle side support I mentioned earlier</b>.&nbsp; You’ll also notice there is a tree that impaled the car right between Lou and Rich, miraculously missing both of them!</p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><img src="http://i441.photobucket.com/albums/qq139/thepennylady/2016%2004%20Central%20States/IMG_5347_zpsmkzwxazi.jpg" class="bbCodeImage wysiwygImage" alt="" unselectable="on" /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><img src="http://i441.photobucket.com/albums/qq139/thepennylady/2016%2004%20Central%20States/IMG_5351_zpsbwq6fiik.jpg" class="bbCodeImage wysiwygImage" alt="" unselectable="on" /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p>This boulder also contributed to preventing the car from traveling the rest of the 150 feet down to the bottom of the ravine.</p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><img src="http://i441.photobucket.com/albums/qq139/thepennylady/2016%2004%20Central%20States/IMG_5357_zps8kvvtiyj.jpg" class="bbCodeImage wysiwygImage" alt="" unselectable="on" /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p>Here is an aerial photo taken of the crash site by the helicopter pilot.&nbsp; If you look carefully, you can see a tiny yellow dot in the bottom middle of the picture; that is Lou’s car.&nbsp; For whatever reason, which we will probably never know since Lou has no memory and Rich’s memory is foggy, they didn’t make the right turn on the road above and instead drove straight and tumbled nose over tale at least twice 150 feet on their way down the cliff before landing, gratefully, right side up.</p><p><br /></p><p><img src="http://i441.photobucket.com/albums/qq139/thepennylady/2016%2004%20Central%20States/Crash%20with%20arrow_zpsqnnqynkp.jpg" class="bbCodeImage wysiwygImage" alt="" unselectable="on" /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p>We later found out that some locals saw Lou’s car tumble off the cliff and waived down one of the other race cars.&nbsp; Here’s another miracle:&nbsp; the car they flagged down was driven by two marines who had EMT training.&nbsp; They pulled over, climbed down the mountain to the car, and immediately pressed the special emergency beacon button on the GPS tracker that would notify the officials at NORRA that there was an emergency and to send a helicopter.&nbsp; Neither Lou nor Rich were able to press the button right after the crash.&nbsp; These two angel marines also helped them the best they could and stayed with them for several hours, all at the expense of losing racing time and the race itself.</p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><b>We also later learned that NORRA gave those two selfless racers back the time they lost by helping Lou and Rich, and they went on to take first place in their class!!!&nbsp; How awesome is that!</b></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p>Since Lou seemed to be ok and mostly would need just rest, and since he would only be home basically a day and a half before I got home on my original flight, I again made the decision to stay in Chicago and finish the show.&nbsp; I called my son Troy to see if he could take Lou to the hospital when he arrived just so he could get checked out as a precaution in case anything was missed, and also asked him to just hang out with Lou that night at home because of his concussion and soreness, and maybe the next day (Friday) depending on how Lou was feeling.</p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p>So back to the show.&nbsp; Wednesday was dealer set up day, with early birds allowed in as well.&nbsp; So I set up my booth, walked around the show, and as usual did the major bulk of my buying.&nbsp; I did find a few nice pieces but not as much as I usually do.</p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><img src="http://i441.photobucket.com/albums/qq139/thepennylady/2016%2004%20Central%20States/IMG_5425_zpsfxzkf1wc.jpg" class="bbCodeImage wysiwygImage" alt="" unselectable="on" /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p>Later in the day, I opened the bottle of wine I had brought, one of my favorite cabs, which I thoroughly enjoyed!</p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><img src="http://i441.photobucket.com/albums/qq139/thepennylady/2016%2004%20Central%20States/IMG_5363_zps5cwji4s6.jpg" class="bbCodeImage wysiwygImage" alt="" unselectable="on" />[/QUOTE]</p><p><br /></p>

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