Jersey City man claims nail to the head set him straight

A Jersey City man insists a bizarre construction accident set him on the path to a drug-free life. Richard Goetschius said he was working under a ladder at a construction site in Livingston three years

News 12 Staff

May 30, 2007, 11:10 PM

Updated 6,321 days ago

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A Jersey City man insists a bizarre construction accident set him on the path to a drug-free life.
Richard Goetschius said he was working under a ladder at a construction site in Livingston three years ago when the accident occurred. When Goetschius stood up, his head hit a nail gun and it fired a nail into his brain.
?The type of nail that was shot into my brain is a barbed nail,? Goetschius said. ?It?s truly a miracle that none of these barbs or the nail struck a blood vessel.?
Goetschius has a scar but suffered no brain damage from the incident. He currently works as a counselor at the Salvation Army and speaks at 12-step programs.
?I?m a recovering drug addict and alcoholic. This was my spiritual awakening,? Goetschius said.