Seven years ago on Sept. 13, 2003 I lost two of my best friends. Their names were Brent Pierce and Carson Draper. I remember it was a Saturday and I had waited around all day for them to get done with a Young Men's activity so we could hang out. Once we finally hung out it started out with just Brent, Carson and me. We wanted to get our friend Becky to hang out too but she was too busy with her newly found boyfriend and didn't want to hang out. We tried to get some other girls to hang out with us but the ones we wanted to come along were all busy or not home. So we ended up calling two other girls from the color guard, Brandy Honjo and Ashlee Nielson. After we got them to come with us we went up the American Fork canyon. We went all the way to the Tibble Fork reservoir and hung out there for a little bit just laughing and throwing rocks in the water. Ashlee looked at her watch and it was about time for her to be home so we started to head down the canyon. As we headed down, Brent put the car in neutral for some reason and we gained speed as we coasted down, blasting Metallica the whole way! We came up on a curve that was really sharp and Brent lost control of the vehicle. It ended up spinning a couple times and crashing into a tree. (Or so I'm told. I have no memory of the actual accident) The next thing I remember was I woke up dazed and the horn was blaring! Brandy had gotten out of the car and was helping me get out as well. Carson had a cell phone in his pocket and we kept asking him to get it out. Brandy had made her way to the edge of the road and managed to flag down a car. They stopped and, luckily, had a cell phone on them. They let us sit in their car with the heater on because we were shivering and while in there I remember telling Brandy that I thought I had lost a tooth because I could feel a gap with my tongue. The next thing I remember was Brandy and myself being put in an ambulance and taken to the hospital. I remember them taking me and Brandy in a room and pulling a curtain between us. My mom and dad showed up as well as my brother and sister. The hospital is a bit of a blur now. I had at least one CT scan and they found that my jaw was broken in 3 different places. My mom found a bruise on my right arm that was the shape of a hand with defined finger marks. She asked me if Carson had his arm around me and I said no. We figured out that he had wrapped his arm around me and Ashlee pulling us into his lap and being our "human seat belt". He lost his life by doing so. I had to have surgery on my jaw and now have metal plates in my jaw. My mouth was wired shut for quite a while. I miss both these boys so much and love them a lot! I can't wait to talk and joke around with them once more!
Brent Pierce and Carson Draper
One of Brent's senior photos.
Carson at band camp. Sadly, there are no pictures of the two boys together or the three of us together.
All of us girls after the accident at Brent's funeral. Ashlee (with the broken arm and nose) Brandy (in the neckbrace and red shirt) and then me.
My cousin and I on my birthday that year. (Exactly one week later) You can see the metal in my mouth from it being wired shut in this picture.
Erin and me with Carson today. 7 years later.
The balloon I got Carson. He truly is my hero!
Erin and me with Brent today. 7 years later.
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