Crash, crunch, ahh Shitski

SeaCat

Hey, my Halo is smoking
Joined
Sep 23, 2003
Posts
15,378
Sitting here at the computer while my wife was watching the tube I was interupted by the loud crunching that said there was a car accident out in front of my place yet again. (There is no sound quite like an accident.)

Once again I go tearing ass out of the place with the jump kit in one hand and the flashlight in the other. This time my wife was right behind me with another flashlight and her cell phone.

Reaching the road I took me all of maybe a second to evaluate the scene and see what had happened.

A car pulling into the left turn cutout across the street from my place had been rear ended and punted across two lanes of traffic and came to rest on the sidewalk right in front of my place. (It was amazing she hadn't been head oned.)

The guy driving the second car was already out of his car and screaming curses across the street at the car in front of my place. He sounded more than just a bit drunk. I let him be and turned to the car in front of me.

Inside I could see one person, a female sitting in the drivers seat and not moving. I could see blood on her forehead which wasn't a good sign. When I tried opening the drivers side door it didn't open, jambed. The same thing with the passenger door. Now another problem became evident, I could smell gasoline. Ahh crap.

Looking under the car I could see gas running out from the area around the tank and pooling. Not a good thing as it was pooling just about where the cars Catalytic Converter was. I told my wife who was on the phone with 9-1-1 to inform them we had one injured as well as trapped and a gas leak. (My extinguisher is a dry chemical one and not a foam one, which is what you need for pooled gas.)

I grabbed my Halligan, (a gift from the local fire deptartment.) and went to work on the drivers side door. It didn't take much to get the door open and I strted checking over the younger lady driving the car. Out like a light with a nice bump on the forehead which was bleeding. Thankfully I couldn't find any other injuries. The only thing was she was unconscious which is never a good thing.

By this time a couple of other people were showing up and I could hear sirens in the distance. (About time.) I sent one guy across the street to check on the other dirver, he came back within minutes to tell me he was just fine but was drunk out of his mind. He was sitting in his car trying to start it and drive away. (That car wasn't going anywhere.) I thanked the guy and told him to go back and keep an eye on the driver, if he tried to boogie to stop him.

The first cruiser pulled up behind the drunks car even as I stood up and started waving my hand light. I wanted more people with training there. The second cruiser came over to my side of the road and pulled up to the curb with his lights on. When the Deputy came trotting up I asked him if he had a foam extinguisher or a Dry Chemical one in his cruiser. He told me all they carried were the dry chems. When I heard this I told him I had the driver but we needed rescue there but quick. He didn't question me, instead he got on his radio. He told me they were rolling and would be there quickly. (I could hear the sirens.)

When the first rescue showed up I was ready to do a hand off. Instead I ended up helping doing the extraction and getting the driver into the rig. While we were doing this the Engine Crew foamed under the car.

Now I'm back and relaxing with a cold one. The car that got hit ended up stopping less than 20 feet from my place. (Less than 20 feet from where my wife was laying on the couch watching TV.)

Oh and the driver of the car finally started coming around as we loaded her into the ambulance.

Cat
 
Johnny on the spot as usual, Cat. Way to go...your lovely wife too. :D

I wonder why the deputies don't carry both kinds of extinguishers considering all the traffic accidents they're called out on.

You need to move to a lot further back from the road, either that or erect some steel reinforced concrete bollards in front of your mobile.
 
Johnny on the spot as usual, Cat. Way to go...your lovely wife too. :D

I wonder why the deputies don't carry both kinds of extinguishers considering all the traffic accidents they're called out on.

You need to move to a lot further back from the road, either that or erect some steel reinforced concrete bollards in front of your mobile.

I think the reason they only carry the Dry Chemical ones is a matter of money as well as space in their trunks. (Not to mention training on knowing which one to use.) Even in the fire department we only carried Dry Chemical Extinguishers.

As for being Johny on the Spot, between my training and my calling I can't do anything but respond. It's ingrained.

The traffic barriers just aren't going to happen. The park and the town aren't going to pay for them and I don't have that kind of money.

Cat
 
I suppose I should add that this was the first accident here of the year. Last year I worked 19 accidents in the 100 yard region in front of my place.

Cat
 
I suppose I should add that this was the first accident here of the year. Last year I worked 19 accidents in the 100 yard region in front of my place.

Cat

Don't you live off US1? Of course any 4 lane in PBC's a nightmare any more. Not to mention Broward and Dade Counties...and I-95's even worse. :eek:
 
Don't you live off US1? Of course any 4 lane in PBC's a nightmare any more. Not to mention Broward and Dade Counties...and I-95's even worse. :eek:

Nope, not on US-1 but near it. Two lanes going East and two lanes Going West.

Bars across the street and other traffic nightmares not far from us.

Cat
 
I live on a corner, not as trafficed as SeaCat's area, but plagued with Boy-Racers speeding in a 30mph zone.

Within thirty yards of my house there have been at least a dozen accidents last year and five of my neighbours have had their garden walls demolished.

My garden wall used to have a rock garden behind it. Now it has raised beds held up by heavy railway sleepers (ties in US). If a vehicle hits my garden wall, unless it is a heavy truck moving fast, it isn't coming through the wall to hit my house.

How about some creative landscape gardening, SeaCat? I'd start with heavy boulders to provide a base, and tons of earth to provide good soil for the flower bed.

Og
 
Years ago we nearly had a car nail our dining room where the children were playing. Now I have a reinforced retaining wall around the front yard filled up level with soil. A speeding car might to nasty damage to the wall but it's going to stop!
 
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