Gamers Rally Around Company of Heroes Designer

[George L. Schmauch Jr.]

I read this story and watched the news video and was heartbroken about the tragedy.  My wife was in tears when I put the video on for her.  (Okay, okay, I was nearly in tears, too.  I admit it!)  To sum up, Company of Heroes Online’s lead designer, Brian Wood, was killed in a car crash on September 3rd, when he swerved to take the full impact of the crash, thereby saving his wife and unborn child.

The outpouring of support from the online community has been amazing.

The video can be found [url=http://videogames.yahoo.com/events/plugged-in/gamers-lend-support-to-widow-of-heroic-developer/1410899]here[/url].

I found it quite coincidental that I had just read [url=http://www.xkcd.com/791/]this xkcd comic[/url] just a couple days prior to hearing Erin Wood pretty much say the same thing in the video.

The post on Kotaku, with his wife’s open letter to the community, is [url=http://kotaku.com/5638353/an-open-letter-from-the-company-of-heroes-developers-widow]here[/url].

If anyone wants to help out, there’s a link on that page.

Even though the circumstances were different, the driver of the other vehicle was still not paying attention to the road, so, as a side note:  People…  put down the phone, coffee, breakfast, makeup, newspaper, directions… and pay attention to the damn road!  /soapbox

[LowTech]

This is a story that surely deserves a bump. 

And to add to Skirge01’s message please put down that cell phone while driving.  While texting or talking with your friend may seem like the most important thing in the world at the time your operation of a 1 to 2 ton vehicle really deserves your highest attention. 

[George L. Schmauch Jr.]

I’ve been sending [url=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R0LCmStIw9E]this public service announcement[/url] (warning:  graphic) to anyone I know who texts while driving or talks on the phone.  I admit I used to do it (talking, not texting), too, but I’ve stopped.  It simply is not worth the risk.  I’ve lost count of how many times I’ve been behind someone or even in front of someone who kept crossing the middle line into oncoming traffic and screaming at them to hang up the damn phone or to pay attention.

I really wish this PSA was being shown in every school in America.  Sadly, some places in the US which have decided to air it have shortened it to almost nothing.

[Author]

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