Welcome to Neuro Talk. Sorry about what happened to you in the accident. You did fantastic in getting all the opinions. That is number 1 with what most of us tell people to do. I know you are afraid, and that is to be expected. I was the same way, seeking comfort and information right here. I also want you to know that there can be a good resolution with surgery. I had two cervical fusions, the last being C3-7.
That being said, you need to ask the surgeon you are comfortable with, one other question. You have other verterbre that you mentioned giving you trouble. There is something called the domino effect. The ones above the fusion site and below the fusion site fail. This can lead to a never ending trip to the surgical ward. You need to ask him if the verterbre above and below are sound and able to hold the hardware, risk factor, etc....
This happened to me. Good that you have a copy of your MRI. Post when you can. I sure wish you all the best as you go forward in this. I will be here to listen anytime. Recovery is very different in each and every case. Take care, ginnie