motorcycle

Life comes at you fast, and for Kevin Diepenbrock, 41, maybe a little too fast.

After crashing his motorcycle on a treacherous stretch of the Tennessee highway known as "The Dragon," Diepenbrock found himself just inches from death. He had no food, no water, and no cell service. Laying motionless in a ditch just off the highway with two punctured lungs, a dozen broken ribs, and several spinal fractures, he took out his phone to make one, final statement. Recording his last words, Diepenbrock sent his love to his wife, parents, and his especially large pack of dogs.

Stopping to take a sip of water, a passing motorist found him nearly 30 hours later. At the hospital, Diepenbrock decided to delete the videos but later retrieved them from the cloud to share them with the world.

via The Knoxville News Sentinel

The Knoxville News Sentinel recounts the crash that left Diepenbrock stranded and fellow Philip Polito dead:

"On Oct. 15, Diepenbrock and Philip Polito, his riding companion and co-worker at a natural gas plant near Philadelphia, Pa., tumbled more than 100 feet down a rocky embankment after their motorcycles collided on a notorious stretch of Highway 129 near mile marker 4 called 'The Dragon.'"

"Polito, 29, of Perryville, Mo., was killed in the crash, and the 41-year-old Diepenbrock was flung out of sight from the motorists who get a thrill from the treacherous road's sharp curves and scenic views."

A harrowing experience for sure, but how many people get to watch their final words go viral?