After everything Trevor Chambers went through, one of the toughest things he had to do was look his boss in the face and tell him he wouldn't be able to go back to work.
A big part of his personal identity was his job as a motorman on a drilling rig. He was a big, strong man, nicknamed Beast by his crew. Chambers was 27 years old in 1993, and June 16 that year marked the end of his life on the rigs.
That night, the Alberta man was out with his crew, drinking as hard as they worked earlier that day. They wanted to go into Brooks, Alta. to have a few more drinks. Chambers didn't drive, but he did pile into the vehicle with his roughneck, who was in no better shape to drive, behind the wheel.
Before arriving at Brooks, the vehicle, which was being driven at about 160 km/h, left the road and rolled. Chambers was thrown from the vehicle, and while the driver escaped with scratches and bruises, Chambers was left with some broken ribs, a dislocated hip and serious brain injuries. He was found face down in a field and airlifted via STARS to Calgary where he spent the next six weeks in a coma.
Chambers gave a presentation at the Days Inn Plaza on Monday to members of Independent Well Services and Sun Country Well Servicing. With his right leg in a knee brace, Chambers kept his hands clasped in front of him throughout his presentation, as his arms shook with tremors. His speech has been affected by the accident as well, but after years of physiotherapy and speech therapy, he has been speaking to crowds about his experiences for a number of years.
"It only took a minute for the accident to change the rest of my life," Chambers said. "I sometimes feel very angry at myself and the person who was driving under the influence of alcohol. The thing is, it takes one accident to change your life."
Chambers said he never expected he would have to wonder about whether he would ever walk again, play ball with his son or be able to work for a living. He said he wants people to slow down and always be thinking about consequences because of the way danger can lurk seen or unseen in so many places.
"It's a high price to pay for an err in judgment," he said of his injuries and those of others who are killed in collisions as a result of impaired driving.
Chambers said it was his son who was affected by the accident as much as he was. His son was six years old when the collision occurred.
"At six years of age, my son and I never had the opportunity to play sports and do other activities together when some parents take it for granted," he said. "You cannot imagine what it's like until it happens to you, and I hope no one will ever have to experience this."
He said most accidents are caused by distractions like cellphones, fatigue and even cough syrup and cited a stat that 20 per cent of all car accidents are alcohol related. He noted insurance is void for those who get into accidents under the influence of alcohol, as well as prescription and over the counter drugs that have labels specifically warning against driving after taking them.
Chambers called impaired driving a "premeditated criminal act."
He doesn't remember what it was like working in the oil and gas sector or much of anything else before the accident. He has since been told by co-workers about his time working on rigs.
"My past has been completely wiped out of my memory. I feel part of my life has been robbed. Remember, your vehicle can be a deadly weapon. It only takes a few seconds for an accident to happen, but you will take the rest of your life wishing it never happened."
