Turns out, he was apparently racing the shop steward, tried to get around him, and wrapped the F150 arourd a tree in the median. When I got there, I recognized the truck, seen it was in flames, and opie lying in the road face up 2 feet from the cab. We grabbed his arms and pulled him another 20 feet from the now inferno. I had no heartbeat, and no breathing, so I gave him a couple compressions on the chest and he coughed up ALOT of blood, but was now breathing with a strong heartbeat, but no response when I called to him. I took comfort in his vitals, as he is a strong boy, about 36 and stocky. The fire department finally arrived just as the rear widow exploded causing me to duck down, and they finally got it extinguished. I followed the ambulance to Grady, helped them wheel him into the trauma unit, where someone kept yelling "no heartbeat, no heartbeat"..This is where I lost it, and started telling the technicians to "do something...give him compressions on his chest, it will work...thats when they escorted me out of the trauma unit. The doctor came in to where they had me secluded, and told me there was nothing more they could do because of the extent of the head damage, and the fact his lungs were filling with fluid. Now Im devastated, and the rest is hurt...He was my best mechanic, and a very close friend that I will never forget....Godspeed William Scott Laird, our prayers are with you...
