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Bad Accident


EWolfe

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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.

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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.

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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. thumbs_down.gifcry.gif

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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. thumbs_down.gifcry.gif

Nope, they would have to investigate even if no one was hurt. At least according to Oregon law.
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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.

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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.

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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!!!

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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. thumbs_down.gif

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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. frown.gif

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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. frown.gif

 

*seatbelts* I hear they work rolleyes.gif

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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.

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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

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billcoe said:

Fern said: "this isn't a topic to chestbeat about who has seen the most carnage."

 

faq-in looser get a life rolleyes.gif

 

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

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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

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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 thumbs_up.gif

 

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