What a start to the day!

[gsganzer]

I left the house at 6:30 this morning (still dark). I live on a county road and as I rounded a bend, I came upon an overturned car in the middle of the road. The car was on it's roof, lights still on, debris strewn about. I jumped out of my car and raced over to look for occupants. There was a baby seat in the back, the drivers window blown out and some womens shoes on the pavement. There was nobody in the vehicle.

Another vehicle pulled up at that time, we immediately began searching the roadside ditches and brush for someone that had gotten thrown from the vehicle. The other gentleman grabbed his spotlight and stood on his truckbed as I "bird dogged" through the brush. After covering a wide circle, we returned to the overturned car. We surmised that maybe the occupant had exited the vehicle and wandered off, possibly collapsing in the ditch along the road.

Just as we began our expanded search, another vehicle pulled up with a neighbor. Turned out my neighbors wife had been driving and had walked home for help. Nobody was injured and no kids in the car.

I can't begin to tell you what goes through your mind when you come across something like that. My heart was in my throat as I looked in the vehicle and searched the brush. I'm glad it turned out alright.

 

[Boondox]

One of the things I truly love about living in the country is that with folks like us the thought of NOT stopping to help simply doesn't occur to us! You see someone in trouble and you pitch in. Period.

Love it! And thank goodness nobody was hurt! Well done!

Pete

 

[txdon]

Gsganzer, I was holding my breath while reading your story. Glad it turned out OK. There is always one other place to look on a turnover or other wreck when you think the occupants might have been ejected. That is UP - trees or high power lines.

 

[gsganzer]

Txdon,
Good point about looking up. Man, I had a million things going through my mind. This happened in what can best be described as a road cutting through a cow pasture. It has ditches on both sides and the county hasn't cut the road side, making for tall grass and weeds. Chasing through that brush in the pitch dark... looking for who knows what. Bad feeling!!

 

[Bird]

</font><font color="blue" class="small">( we immediately began searching the roadside ditches and brush for someone that had gotten thrown from the vehicle )</font>

Many years ago, when I was a patrolman, I got a call one night after midnight on a major accident and found a car overturned, off the road at the edge of a large brushy field. The drunk who had been driving had only minor scrapes and bruises, but was sitting at the edge of the road crying and screaming that he'd killed his girlfriend. Four of us officers and a couple of ambulance attendants spent a lot of time wading through brush and weeds searching the entire area for the girlfriend without success. I finally was able to get her name and address from the near incoherent drunk, then went to her home, and found her there. The guy was so drunk he forgot that he'd taken her home before the accident. /forums/images/graemlins/tongue.gif

 

[NIXON]

Bird , That's funny, Yet so sad!
As a side story I manage to put my F250 on it's side this past winter . I narrowly missed a vehicle in my lane , the cleaned a ditch out so to speakl . The folks that responded to my plight were nothing short of great ! The offer of Hot coffee and warm clothes took a lot of the sting out of the wreck !
So far I've managed to pay back two motorist in the same situation . John

 

[daedong]

A good story Bird, I don't think you would ever forget something like that. Here in oz drink driving was common place up till the late 70s, and wasn't there some good accidents with plenty killed, it was horrific, /forums/images/graemlins/frown.gifglad it's not accepted today.

 

[jinman]

</font><font color="blue" class="small">( I left the house at 6:30 this morning (still dark). I live on a county road and as I rounded a bend, I came upon an overturned car in the middle of the road. )</font>

A couple of days last week there were bad accidents on Hwy 114, west of I-35W. I decided to go up County Line Road between Wise and Denton Counties to Hwy 407 as an alternate route. Wouldn't you know it? That rough road and some people were trying to drive 70+ on it and other gravel country roads they were totally unfamiliar with. /forums/images/graemlins/mad.gif I just held my breath because I was worried I'd see an accident, but luckily nothing happened that I saw.

I know people are in a hurry, but if you kill yourself, you are going to be really, really late to work. /forums/images/graemlins/blush.gif

 

[RockyMnt1]

This is a good opportunity to suggest that everyone take the Red Cross First Responders class. I just completed the class and it was a great refresher for CPR, oxygen administration, handling emergency situations, airway insertion, triage, first aid, getting familiar with the emergency medical system equipment, terms, and procedures, and using the automated external defibulators.

I highly recommend taking the time now to take this course. The course was Tue and Thurs from 1200-1600 and on 2 Saturdays and went from Jun 29 to Aug 7. It seems like a lot of time but it just flew by for me. We have to have 5 hours of continuing education credits /year to maintain the certification. I took the course through my work so there was no cost involved for me.

You just never know when this will be very useful.