Triathlon photographer hit by car
Update 8/25/11, 2:30am Pacific: Paul Phillips was diagnosed with blood in his lungs and admitted to a local Minneapolis hospital Tuesday for treatment and observation.
Award winning photographer Paul Phillips suffered 3 broken ribs, multiple contusions to his head, elbows and wrists, and as yet undetermined injuries to his neck and head when he was hit by a car before the start of the USA Triathlon Age Group Nationals in Burlington, Vermont Saturday.
Phillips was walking in a crosswalk to the motorcycle staging area 30 minutes prior to the 7:30 AM start when a white SUV that had been stopped for the crosswalk reportedly suddenly accelerated and knocked Phillips and his cameras to the pavement.
Phillips was immediately tended to by a passing physician, laid on a board and taken by ambulance to Fletcher Allen Medical Center where doctors took a CAT scan, cleaned his wounds and gave him pain medication.
After returning to his home in Minneapolis Sunday, Phillips' regular physician examined him Tuesday, found some blood had collected in his lungs and placed him in a Minneapolis hospital for further treatment and observation.
Phillips has been covering triathlon for 10 years. He runs a company called Competitive Image, which is a boutique photo agency focusing on endurance sports and triathlon. He did the pictures for a prize-winning book called Portrait of Passion, focusing on the US women's soccer team's drive to the 2007 World Cup in China.
At the 2010 Tri-American Awards for best published triathlon photos, he won 1st for his picture of the swim start at the London WCS race and 2nd place for his shot of Chrissie Wellington at the finish line of the Kansas 70.3 race. In addition, he won the Canon Editor's Choice for Sport for his London shot.
Slowtwitch talked to Phillips by telephone Tuesday morning to get his recollections of the incident.
Slowtwitch: Where did you get hit?
Paul Phillips The impact was at my left upper rib cage around the heart. They did a CT scan at the chamber around my heart and the doctor in Burlington said "I have great news. You have three broken ribs and there was nothing else apparent on the CT scan." Which was fortunate. But I heard from a guy on the plane home that he had a similar injury and had to sleep in a chair for 10 days.
ST: Have you heard from many folks in the sport?
Paul: I got an email from Chrissie Wellington asking 'Are you Ok Paul?' And sending me strength and healing thoughts.
ST: How much does it hurt?
Paul: I'm on hard core pain medication every 5 or 6 hours. I have a lot of pain in the injured area.
ST: What did you see before the SUV hit you?
Paul: I saw a white SUV on my left that had stopped in the street 10 feet back of the crosswalk. As I was in the walk, he gunned it. Apparently he was not watching because I was wearing a bright Day-Glo yellow photo vest. It was obvious he gunned it because I heard the engine rev and there was instantaneous acceleration. Just as I turned to see what it was, the SUV struck my upper left rib cage right below heart.
ST: How long before help came?
Paul: True to our sport, less than a minute elapsed before an athletic trainer came and said "Do not move." Within another minute, another man wearing a race number came and said "I am a physician," and asked me a few basic questions like "Did you black out?" They were all there to help, just one of the signs what a fabulous sport this is and what a great opportunity we have to be involved in it.
ST: Nice. But what happened as you were hit?
Paul: I knew right away I was in trouble. I hit the ground hard. Both elbows were cut and I had a gash on the back of my head when I hit the ground. I could see stars and right away I sensed I could not move. I can’t tell you if I tried to get up. I can’t recall my thought process, but I felt there was no way I could get up. I definitely had the wind knocked out of me.
ST: When did the ambulance arrive?
Paul: Next thing, people ran and got the race doctor and the race doctor ran to me. Someone called 911 immediately. And soon some people put me on a back board and immobilized my neck and took me to Fletcher Allen Medical Center. There they did several exams, cleaned my wounds and did a CAT scan because they were concerned there might have been a collapsed lung and some heart damage. They just did a chest CAT scan, not the head scan. But I am scheduled to see my doctor in Minneapolis and they will give me another exam in Minneapolis.
ST: In movies, the brave photographer would get off the canvas and finish shooting.
Paul: I actually got a few pictures that day. I got out of the hospital at noon and got someone to take me to the venue. By then the sprint race was starting — and I walked to start of sprint race and got a few pictures. I rested there a while and walked few 100 meters to the swim exit and shot that, then I got to the finish line for some pictures.
ST: I was sort of kidding about envisioning you doing a Rocky Part 6 and getting off the canvas.
Paul: Well, I could not get to my car until the race course was closed. So, at that point the race medical team cleaned up my wounds again at the med tent as I waited for the course to close.
ST: You carry a lot of equipment on a big day. How did you carry it back to your car?
Paul: Fortunately I did not carry the 400 meter lens (about 15 pounds). I had two cameras, three lenses and a flash and my body was in shock after the accident so I actually felt better than I did the next day.
ST: Did you hear from the SUV driver?
Paul: I heard he apologized. The police intercepted him and got a police report.
ST: So how was your journey home?
Paul: True to the sport I got help all along the way home. Chris Swarthout of the Optum Health Performance Team got all my stuff and luggage and drove it back to Minneapolis in his vehicle. Two athletes on the same plane Sunday were very, very helpful. They caught me as I almost collapsed when I got off the plane at my connection in Cleveland.
ST: How did you get home?
Paul: Athletes on the plane brought me to my door. There was really a great show of support from all the people at the race. That is another example of why Bek Keat gave Chrissie that CO2 cylinder in Kona in 2008. It was the right thing to do.
ST: How quickly will you be back in action?
Paul: Prognosis for recovery is hard to say. They say that pain and after effects from rib injuries can go on for months. I plan to go to Hy-Vee in two weeks with a very limited camera gear and see what I can get. Typically it is more like 6 weeks to return to a high function level. Right now I am on stiff pain medicine and wear a neck brace.
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