Carrie Ann Anderson (April 8, 1958- June 10, 2008)

Carrie Anderson was killed in a car accident on June 9, 2008:

Two killed in crash near Campbell - San Jose Mercury News (June 10)
Two San Jose people killed in crash near Campbell identified (June 10)
Mother, son from San Jose identified as victims in fatal car crash (June 11)
Woman hurt in crash declared brain dead (June 12)
Carrie Ann Anderson Obituary (June 15)
Sign the guest book for Carrie Anderson

She was the driver of the Audi station wagon. Her brain was dead at 7am on the morning of June 10, 2008 at Valley Medical Center in San Jose. The impact tore the carotid artery which supplies blood to her brain. It was inoperable. Her heart is still beating and she is still on life support so that her organs can be donated.

Memorial service:

Tues, June 24, 2008 at 3pm
Saratoga Federated Church
20390  Park Place
Saratoga, CA

In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations be made to Boston University

For personal issues, contact:

David Sweet
dksweet/sbcglobal.net (replace the / with an @ sign)
cell: +1 (408) 644-2228

For work related issues, contact Steve Kirsch

Carrie was a wonderful friend to us all and her memory will live on in our hearts forever.

Is there a lesson for the rest of us in how she died?

Carrie lived a long and full life. But it was cut short far sooner than she or anyone else expected. Was her accident preventable? Can her death save other lives? What can we learn from this tragic accident?

Better seat belts or head restraints wouldn't have saved her because even if she were strapped in, there is a differential acceleration between her insides and her outsides. The arteries in human beings were never designed for such impacts because it's only in the last 100 years that such events occur. 100 years is nothing on an evolutionary timescale. So the bottom line is that if you are forced into a sudden acceleration or deceleration, death is a possible consequence and there is nothing you can do about it.

The only thing that might have saved her life would have been a dead man's switch on cars that would stop the car if the driver becomes incapacitated. The driver of the vehicle who hit Carrie broadside was reportedly undergoing some sort of seizure and lost control of the vehicle and ran several red lights before smashing into Carrie's Audi station wagon.

The lesson we can all learn is to look out for the other guy and don't assume that just because there is a red light that an out of control vehicle isn't going to run it. Be very careful when driving. Avoid distractions. Anticipate what might happen. Perhaps this may save your life someday.