The Nugget Newspaper - News and Opinion from Sisters, Oregon

Sisters resident and new-business owner Tom Simpson is a lucky man. He's in his second month as the proprietor of "Three Sisters Automotive."

Simpson, 32, has been repairing cars in Sisters for the past six years, and has been an ASE Certified Auto Mechanic since 2003. He's worked for several auto repair businesses in Sisters, and recently decided to open his own shop at 287 W. Sisters Park Dr.

A Navy veteran, he used the GI Bill to attend Central Oregon Community College, where he earned an Associate's degree in Applied Science in Automotive Technology.

"I was real nervous," he said about starting his own business, "and still am. "But hey," he says, "I'm young..."

And, according to Tom, he's gotten a lot of encouragement from local car owners and businesses alike.

"Almost everyone I've spoken to in town has been very supportive," he said. "Everybody needs their car fixed eventually."

So far, Simpson is the company's only employee, but he hopes he'll soon have enough business to hire someone to handle the phone.

"I just want to fix cars," he said.

Owning his own business though, isn't the only reason Tom's lucky. On icy roads in November 2006, he was in an automobile accident that left him gravely injured.

"I was dead when they found me," he said. "They had to cut me out of my truck."

He was resuscitated at the scene by members of the Sisters-Camp Sherman RFPD, transported to Sisters Airport and flown by Air Life to St. Charles Medical Center in Bend. His injuries included a broken back (in four places), nine broken ribs, a collapsed lung, a broken collar bone and severe head trauma.

"I was in there for, like, three weeks," he said. He only remembers the last few days.

"I'm really, really lucky. That's what it is." he said. "I've got a house-full of kids I almost abandoned."

His children are currently two, four and six years old.