Man with bullet in brain drives himself to work, hospital (girlfriend/shooter commits suicide)

nj online ^ | Last updated Dec. 29, 2005 | TONY BRIGGS

[RedBloodedAmerican]

PORT ORANGE -- A man who woke up this morning bleeding from a bullet wound to his forehead later drove himself to work, and then to a hospital, where he was in stable condition this afternoon after undergoing brain surgery, Port Orange police said.

Glen Betterley, 53, of 5267 Orange Ave., told police he woke up about 4:30 a.m. and noticed blood on his face but didn't know know where it came from. He asked his girlfriend, Emma Lorene Larsen, 65, if she was responsible but she could not explain it. So he washed his face and went back to bed.

When the bleeding continued and could not be stopped, Betterley told police he got up at 6:30 a.m. and drove himself to work to leave a message explaining he was going to the hospital.

The emergency room staff at Halifax Medical Center concluded Betterley had been shot and called police. After talking to him, police contacted Larsen by telephone to tell her they wanted to question her. A short time later, officers outside of Betterley's home said they heard a single gunshot. They forced their way into the house and found Larsen dead of an apparent gunshot wound to the head.

[Northern Yankee]

Sometimes people get shot in the head and are not aware of it.

Darn... I better check my head. . ; )

[Riley]

And the parking brake was supposed to do what? Give you cpr? Call an ambulance if you pass out? Run like lassie and get help?

No- it was to bring the car under control, if necessary. I made it to the hospital (for all the good that did- they almost killed me) in under ten minutes. Extremely unlikely that the paramedics would have gotten there that fast. I've had to call them a couple of times since- it's usually 15-20 minutes.

In subsequent ambulance rides for the same thing- I throw on some clothes, grab my 'go bag' and meet them at the curb. I refuse to be carried anywhere while my legs still work.

You're not bulletproof you cantankerous old fart.

Not old. I was 39 when this happened.

People count on you and people care for you.

Usually a fair assumption about someone that one doesn't know personally, but not always.

/lecture your family really wanted to give you

My family knows better than to do that. I am perfectly happy being insufferable and aware of my own mortality. :-)

[stocksthatgoup]

That was one helluva migraine.

[jdm]

That is pretty crazy.

Drive to work to leave a message saying you won't be at work?! Why not just leave a voicemail for the boss (from home)?!!!

[blackie]

Yep!

[Neets]

Wooooooooooooo-Hooooooooooooooooooo

[b4its2late]

Good thing she didn't shoot herself in the head or she would've been under arrest for attempted murder.

[Eaker]

After the second or third time it ain't that big of a deal.

Lord knows that I know!!

;<)

[JimSEA]

Employee of the Month

On the contrary, my old boss would have at least writen him up for not taking care of personal matters like doctor's calls on his own time.

[humblegunner]

After the second or third time it ain't that big of a deal.

Watch the upholstery and keep duct tape on hand.

[teenyelliott]

Perhaps you need a new woman. ; )

[Eaker]

Naw, I have had this one for over 20 years and most of the shots have only been to my head...........

She loves me!!!

[TADSLOS]

That is one heavy sleeper.

[teenyelliott]

Well, I suppose it is not her fault that you make her so mad.

[Ditter]

I girl I went to school with was shot in the head with a .22 by her husband. She did not die and the story I heard was the bullet didn't enter her brain but it traveled around the inside of her skull for a ways and then stopped.

[Ditter]

In the 50's my mother had ALL of her teeth pulled out in preparation for dentures and then walked 2 miles home in the Houston summer heat. She didn't want to ask anyone to drive her home and daddy was working. I'm not that tough, I am a wimp.

[TheMom]

I can affirm that Eaker is like a freakin cat . . . he has nine lives.

At current count he is on his sixed.

[teenyelliott]

Hope you have a good policy in place. You are running out of time.

[Smokin' Joe]

I wasn't there so I won't judge your drive. I have driven 20+ miles to get sewn up, just because that was the fastest way to get it done.

I hope your parking brake episode was in a front wheel drive car or a heavy old truck. In a RWD vehicle, grabbing the parking brake at speed will cause you to do a 180 with only a small twist of the wheel. We used to do this for fun when I was a youngster.

[streetpreacher]

I've always suspected that's what happened to me...