EWolfe Posted August 25, 2003 Posted August 25, 2003 Wirlwind and I were coming back from Squamish yesterday and were third or fourth on the scene of a really bad accient - the weak of stomach should stop reading here. About 10 miles north of the truck customs, a mediums sized sedan and a semi had a head-on collision. One or the other had crossed the center line, the car coming down one of those rolling hills, and the truck climbing up. It was no contest. As we approached, we saw the semi jack-knifed blocking all four lanes, and the car was absolutely crumpled. and on the side of the road. We pulled up to see if we could do anything to help, and what we saw has had me in shock for 12 hours, and badly shaken, running over and over again in my mind. The car had hit the front left side of the semi (probably at a high speed) and then took out the bumper, front part of the truck, then went under the semi and took out the front left wheel and the axle. There was just a gaping hole where all that should be. I looked over at the car, and saw the trucker and another person trying to drag the driver of the car out of the wreckage. Oh, God! His left arm was torn off just below the elbow, and he was ashen white. It appeared that his legs were pinned in the car, cuz they just kept pulling. The look on the drivers face will haunt me for a long time - it was slack-jawed, staring vacantly with huge pupils into no-where. My first thought was: "he's not long for this world." One of the people moving the driver justified their actions by shouting: We have to get him out, that is diesel running down the road!" I thought numbly, "diesel won't explode, it' hardly burns", but I was going into shock by then. I knew we were early on the scene when I looked over at the fuel running down the road and the trail was only 30 feet long, even though it was fast. Everyone was running around shouting directions, all in shock. There were no medical or fire professionals on site, yet. Having no training in this stuff, I turned to wirlwind and said: "let's get out of here.", and we left. On our way out we saw a firetruck coming our way. I feel bad about not doing anything, but I was totally at a loss. Remember, folks, we are all driving deadly weapons around, so, be careful out there. Quote
Necronomicon Posted August 25, 2003 Posted August 25, 2003 Brutal. You did the right thing by leaving, since you didn't see the accident. You'd only have been in the way when the Pros showed up. Take care, -J Quote
sk Posted August 25, 2003 Posted August 25, 2003 Necronomicon said: Brutal. You did the right thing by leaving, since you didn't see the accident. You'd only have been in the way when the Pros showed up. Take care, -J I totaly agree. At that point the best thing you can do is get the hell out of the way. Quote
Mr._Natural Posted August 25, 2003 Posted August 25, 2003 maybe this has something to do with the two hour wait @ the lynden aldergrove crossing? were they diverting drivers away from the truck customs? do you know if the dude made it? Quote
Fence_Sitter Posted August 25, 2003 Posted August 25, 2003 wow sound brutal.. be careful peeps! Quote
Distel32 Posted August 25, 2003 Posted August 25, 2003 I doubt he made it because when we hit the accident scene at about 9:40pm they still had the entire area blocked off and we had to drive around about a 2km long section. My guess is they usually only do thta if they have to investigate which means someone died. I hat to be cynical, but thats my guess. Quote
sk Posted August 25, 2003 Posted August 25, 2003 Distel32 said: I doubt he made it because when we hit the accident scene at about 9:40pm they still had the entire area blocked off and we had to drive around about a 2km long section. My guess is they usually only do thta if they have to investigate which means someone died. I hat to be cynical, but thats my guess. Nope, they would have to investigate even if no one was hurt. At least according to Oregon law. Quote
iain Posted August 25, 2003 Posted August 25, 2003 I would guess he was already dead when you saw him based on your description. It is difficult to come across those scenes w/o both medical training and a healthy dose of critical incident stress management. Even with paramedic-level training there is little you can do for these people w/o access to an ambulance, which barely would have enough to delay the inevitable on the trip to the ER. Quote
iain Posted August 25, 2003 Posted August 25, 2003 Also helps to keep an eye on yourself and your friend as these scenes can effect you in wierd ways at wierd times, much later on. It is a common issue for people in mountain rescue who do body recoveries and don't have any form of emotional release, even though they never met the person. It's a strange sensation. Quote
billcoe Posted August 25, 2003 Posted August 25, 2003 Thats nothing: try giving a bloody dude mouth to mouth for 20 min at the scene of a 60/80 foot auger in while his climbing partner, sister and girlfrind are all wailing and carrying on. 1 word for the graduate: dead anyway. hmmm, 2 words then. Quote
thelawgoddess Posted August 25, 2003 Posted August 25, 2003 wow. it was cool of you guys to stop and see if you could help in the first place. sounds harsh, what you saw. if you didn't have any training and there were others around who seemed to know what they were doing and didn't appear to need you to assist, you probably did well enough to leave. don't feel bad about it. and be careful out there!!! Quote
fern Posted August 25, 2003 Posted August 25, 2003 billcoe said: Thats nothing dude, it is not 'nothing'. Every accident is something. Every accident sucks. And every accident warrants sympathy for the victims and those who were on scene and shocked by what they have seen. this isn't a topic to chestbeat about who has seen the most carnage. Quote
Dr_Flash_Amazing Posted August 25, 2003 Posted August 25, 2003 vegetablebelay said: One-uppers are so suck. Dude, that one-upper was nothin'; you shoulda saw the time DFA was blah blah blah ... Seriously, that sounds horrific. Thanks for the warning to sensitive readers; scanning through was more than gnar' enough. Sorry you had to witness that badness. On a similar, non-one-upping note, DFA and friends were on the way back to Bend from a day at Smith, and unfortunately had to see an older Ford Bronco that had gone off the road, through a fence, etc. Vehicle didn't look too bad, but there was a white sheet on the ground next to it with feet sticking out from underneath. Sad business. Quote
jordop Posted August 25, 2003 Posted August 25, 2003 Dr_Flash_Amazing said: vegetablebelay said: One-uppers are so suck. Dude, that one-upper was nothin'; you shoulda saw the time DFA was blah blah blah ... Seriously, that sounds horrific. Thanks for the warning to sensitive readers; scanning through was more than gnar' enough. Sorry you had to witness that badness. On a similar, non-one-upping note, DFA and friends were on the way back to Bend from a day at Smith, and unfortunately had to see an older Ford Bronco that had gone off the road, through a fence, etc. Vehicle didn't look too bad, but there was a white sheet on the ground next to it with feet sticking out from underneath. Sad business. *seatbelts* I hear they work Quote
Dwayner Posted August 25, 2003 Posted August 25, 2003 A number of accident victims been hurt from bystanders jumping in thinking that the car/truck/vehicle is "going to blow"! It's from watching too much TV where seemingly every car crash erupts in flames. People with serious back injuries and other trauma have been yanked and then drug away to a "safer place" when in fact, they require the most delicate of care. Quote
billcoe Posted August 25, 2003 Posted August 25, 2003 Fern said: "this isn't a topic to chestbeat about who has seen the most carnage." Are you saying I shouldn't bring up the 2 bodies I lowered off of my favorite route at Smith...Trezlar? Grey matter covered the area, the man was 5 feet from the ground and dead, the girl was hanging like a marionette on the rope 20 feet up, blood running down the rock like a spigot like your backyard faucet was left on with her skull exploded and brain exposed....? I pulled off the dead guys shoes and put them on, the woman with me suggested it, saying with a laugh" he won't need them now, you do" heading up the descent route rapidly..... grim stuff, but ya have to live. Life continues for the rest of us. Is that what you're saying, not now? Hmmm, OK, perhaps later Fern? I have better ones too, but later perhaps? Bill Quote
RobBob Posted August 25, 2003 Posted August 25, 2003 this guy wants to out-Springer necro. Get a life. Quote
Fence_Sitter Posted August 25, 2003 Posted August 25, 2003 billcoe said: Fern said: "this isn't a topic to chestbeat about who has seen the most carnage." faq-in looser get a life Are you saying I shouldn't bring up the 2 bodies I lowered off of my favorite route at Smith...Trezlar? Grey matter covered the area, the man was 5 feet from the ground and dead, the girl was hanging like a marionette on the rope 20 feet up, blood running down the rock like a spigot like your backyard faucet was left on with her skull exploded and brain exposed....? I pulled off the dead guys shoes and put them on, the woman with me suggested it, saying with a laugh" he won't need them now, you do" heading up the descent route rapidly..... grim stuff, but ya have to live. Life continues for the rest of us. Is that what you're saying, not now? Hmmm, OK, perhaps later Fern? I have better ones too, but later perhaps? Bill Quote
Distel32 Posted August 25, 2003 Posted August 25, 2003 Billcoe- Whats your point man??? Ok you've seen some nasty unfortunate shit. Why are you bragging? Quote
Ursa_Eagle Posted August 25, 2003 Posted August 25, 2003 I'm sorry to hear that you had to witness that, MisterE billcoe, you're a fuckhead Quote
JayB Posted August 25, 2003 Posted August 25, 2003 Christ. Saw tire marks and whatnot southbound from Whistler but had no idea that that accident was that bad. Hopefully there will be fewer accidents of this nature when the Sea-to-Sky is a split 4 lane highway. Quote
Coopah Posted August 25, 2003 Posted August 25, 2003 iain said: Also helps to keep an eye on yourself and your friend as these scenes can effect you in wierd ways at wierd times, much later on. It is a common issue for people in mountain rescue who do body recoveries and don't have any form of emotional release, even though they never met the person. It's a strange sensation. Good info iain. If you need to talk to someone about it by all means do so. The general public just isn't prepared to witness such a tragedy. Hope you and your friend are doing ok Quote
EWolfe Posted August 25, 2003 Author Posted August 25, 2003 Bill, I can appreciate how this brings up memories, and maybe posting this in the first place was inviting that type of response. However, there was an immediacy to this that seemed beyond historical anecdotes - just trying to deal with some wierdness NOW . Everyone else: thanks for the PM's and good thoughts Quote
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