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Roethlisberger Was "Seconds Away" From Dying

By Peter Bean

Ben Roethlisberger told ESPN that he was just seconds, maybe a minute, away from dying after his motorcycle accident last month.

Roethlisberger, in his first interview since the June 12 accident, told ESPN's "SportsCenter" that he doesn't remember much about the accident when he rammed his motorcycle into a car that was making a left turn in front of him on a Pittsburgh street. He did, however, remember what he was told by people at the scene.

"They told me that I was literally seconds, maybe a minute away from dying because I slit a vein or artery in my mouth or my throat and it was draining blood right into my stomach and luckily the paramedic noticed it and stopped it or else I would have had too much blood in my stomach," he told ESPN's Jim Rome in Los Angeles, where he was for the taping of the ESPYS.

Terrifying. We've been generally pleased with the apparent quick recovery of Big Ben, but this is a sobering reminder of how close to catastropher he, and the Steelers, came. The mind bogglitity of it all is astounding: people still don't wear seat belts, or helmets, these days?

For now we'll thank our lucky stars that Ben is okay. Even if he never plays another down of football, at least he has his health. That, in itself, is a victory.

--PB--

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