All book proceeds will be donated to a fund for crash victims and their families.

Summary:
It was July 29, 2005, a beautiful summer day in Connecticut’s Farmington River Valley. I was one of a few dozen drivers heading toward Hartford. Most of us were doing what we did hundreds of times a year: simply going to work. There was no way to know what was coming as we approached the traffic light at the base of Avon Mountain and the intersection of Nod Road and Routes 44 and 10, of chance and fate, of wrong place and wrong time.

This is a true story about real people, the best and the most irresponsible among us. It’s about what happened before, during and after one of the worst crashes in Connecticut history. It’s about innocent victims and heroes – everyday people who did extraordinary things, literally picking up the pieces of the broken lives left in the wake of a poorly maintained, uninsured, fully loaded, out-of-control Mack dump truck.

Objectives:
Honor the memories of those who died as a result of the crash: Chip Stotler, Maureen Edlund, Barbara Bongiovanni, Abdulraheem Naafi and Frank Juan.
Raise money for victims of the crash. In addition to the devastating loss of loved ones, victims’ families have also suffered tremendous financial hardships.
Honor the courage and kindness of the emergency services people and Good Samaritans.
Raise awareness about importance of road safety.
Tell the amazing story of what happened that day:

• Seven life-and-death struggles unfolded simultaneously over about 100 yards, the distance the truck slid after flipping over and slamming into 19 vehicles.
• Some 300 police, firefighters, emergency medical personnel and passersby responded to help total strangers, fellow human beings who were in desperate need of help.
• It was spectacular: the crash itself, the rescue effort, the irresponsibility that caused it.

About the author:
Mark Robinson was in front row of traffic that morning; he broke 9 bones and punctured a lung;
he is incredibly lucky to be alive. Mark is currently director, internal communications, ING, in Windsor, Connecticut. He has a communications background; that experience plus direct involvement in crash add up to a unique opportunity to provide a first-person account and to get access to behind-the-scenes information, including the personal stories of victims and their families.

Timeframe goal:
The book is printed and we are shipping copies!
You can order now.

Resources:
Acorn Studio, Glastonbury, CT www.acornstudio.biz
Amorosino Writing, Unionville, CT www.amorosinowriting.com
Dornenburg Group, West Hartford, CT www.dornenburggroup.com
The Kotchen Group, Farmington, CT www.kotchengroup.com
Michelle Leibovitz, Independent Video Producer, Avon, CT michelle.leibovitz@yahoo.com
Muldoon Photography, Farmington, CT www.muldoonphoto.com
Nancy Simonds Communication, South Windsor, CT www.simonds.com
Eric Tully, Web Technologies, Canton, CT eric@tully.com
Rich Wright Productions, Granby, CT www.richwrightproductions.com