Travel Nurse: He Jumped Out of A Moving Car!?

This morning a 35 year old man with more head, neck and you-name-it injuries than I can count was moved to my floor from the E.R. The man had jumped out of a moving car going 75 miles per hour on the interstate. A Dare maybe? No. Something wrong with the car's brakes? No. Drunk perhaps? Well, that has something to do with it even though it was 7:00 in the morning when he jumped out of the car.

Apparently the man and his girlfriend had been drinking throughout the night. When dawn finally came they decided to climb into their car and drive home on the interstate while still intoxicated. During the course of the drive home the man and his girlfriend got into an argument and she told him she was through with him. This was the straw that broke my poor, alcoholic patient's back (literally). In a fit of passion (or stupidity) he flung open the passenger's side door and jumped. The man cracked his skull, broke his back and lost much of the skin on his body. He is likely not going to survive past the weekend.

Now you may think I am being a little flippant with my treatment of this patient's current medical state. But consider this: I found out from his relatives that this was the third time he had jumped out of a moving car (though not going quite so fast) after being dumped by the same girl. Combine that with the fact that he and his girlfriend were intoxicated while flying down the interstate and maybe my attitude in writing this post can be understood; though maybe still not justified.