My Morning 06/23/08

[HPNFlyGirl]

On my way to work this morning I saw a fire truck (non emergent) driving down the road, so I was really happy about that. Little did I know I would be sitting in a SHP car in less than 3 miles and 30 minutes later. Funny how things change in an instant.

I saw an accident happen on Lake Wheeler Road. I was headed northbound and the accident victim was headed southbound. I saw this guy about five or six cars in front of me go to pass a car in front of him and then the guy traveling southbound ended up going through a horse's fence.

It happened so fast but yet it seemed like it happened in slow motion at the same time.

No one was stopping to help. There was a lot of debris in the roadway and people just drove around it. I stopped and asked if he was ok. It was evident he was not. His head was all bloody and he asked me to call 911. I had already called them and they were holding on if I asked the guy if he was ok. Then I looked at his truck and saw it was gushing fuel. I told him to get as far away from the vehicle as he could because of the fuel leak.

After I saw him move away from the truck I drove up to a dirt road (still talking to 911) parked my car and ran back to the scene. (The lady behind me was in such a hurry she ran over the mailbox he had just hit. She ended up dragging it to the dirt road where I parked and said a few choice words.) The dispatcher told me he was sending the paramedics and they should be there soon. I told him he needed a lot more than paramedics. He needed the fire department and the police/sheriff/SHP as well. He informed me they had already been dispatched as well. He told me that if anything changed to give them a call back. I said "thank you" then called work to let them know I would be late and crossed the street to the guy.

When I made it back the scene there was a guy who had stopped and a lady who had stopped to help as well. I asked who they were and the guy was with one of the news channel and the lady was a nurse. I told them I saw the accident happen and needed to wait for SHP to show.

The guy was in severe pain. The nurse had him sitting up and she was holding pressure to stop the bleeding. He wanted to lay down and I told him that he had to stay sitting up until the paramedics arrived. He was nice and said "Yes ma'am." Raleigh FD, NCSU FD and Swift Creek FD showed up moments later. I introduced my self to the FF and told him that the truck had leaked a lot of fuel and to be aware of that. (The guys truck had a fence post going through the windshield. He was very lucky that it hit to the right side of him. I'm thinking a few more inches and it would have hit him in the face or neck. He was lucky there.) The victim was begging for water. After the FF told him NO, I think he was a little upset but he understood.

In the meantime the owners of the property showed up. One of the owners was pretty irate. He was like, "Yep, he took the mailbox out too. WHERE THE HELL IS MY MAILBOX!!!!!" I didn't say anything. Then he asked me if I was in the accident and if I caused it. I said "No. I just witnessed the accident." I told him what I saw happened and he calmed down. Then the lady of the house showed up and she was "Were you in the truck." "No. I just witnessed the accident." Then her son made the comment "I was wondering when something like this was going to happen." His mom said "I never thought anything like this could have happened." Her son said "I always knew something like this was going to happen." (It happened on a BIG horse farm across from NCSU's field operations.)

Garner EMS then showed up and I knew the Paramedic and the EMT-Intermediate that were working. I helped with carrying stuff to the truck for them and buckling the victim in on the stretcher. Then off to Wake Med Raleigh he went.

The longest wait was for the SHP to show up. Then took a good look at the scene. I walked over to him and he asked if I was the witness to the accident and I said "Yes." Then he took me to his patrol car and I filled out the accident report.

I was very detailed. Even the SHP was impressed of how good a report I wrote, but I left out the part about how many cars I thought was in front of me.

I was talking to the Fire Marshall from NCSU and told him I felt bad that I didn't have any BSI with me and I couldn't help more than what I did and he asked me "What is the number one thing in the EMS world? (or something to that affect) I told him "Scene safety." He said "CORRECT!!!! You told him to move away from the vehicle and not many people would have done that. You are going to make a great EMT. Maybe you should be come a paramedic." I smiled and said "Maybe."

I spoke with the FF of station 20 and asked them what shift it was today. Well, today is B shift. I told one of them my friend was a FF at station 23 and it just so happened they were in the fire academy together. Not too long after he said he wanted something sweet to eat so I told him that I could bring them cookies some time, if they would be nice and let me see their fire truck. They said they couldn't wait and told me to come after they had dinner tonight.

Then the tow truck showed up. That is when the NCSU FM and I decided to leave. He was really nice and offered me a ride back to my car. Too bad it wasn't a fire engine, though it did have lights on the top so I was happy.

All I have to say is...WHAT AN EXCITING MORNING!!!!!

My mom told me that I have a warped mind but I don't care. I love this kind of stuff.

Oh yeah the FF loved the cookies.

 

[HPNFlyGirl]

Nicely done, Brook! We need more people like you in America.

Thank you Nick.

 

[Diana]

Sounds like ya did good Brook.

I've stopped and helped at several auto accidents over the years. Stark reality.

The worst one involved a young man going splat in the middle of a narrow highway in the middle of Kansas after a head-on (his car ended up in the ditch without him) with no medical help available for miles and miles and it took over an hour for an ambulance to get there. There were also three men in a truck in the ditch and I stayed with the person who had the most severe injuries. Strangers finally started directing traffic around us so semi's blew past us as I knelt (I was in a business suit and high heels) next to the man who was bleeding and unconscious and we were surrounded by glass and dirt and blood and car parts and some kind of green car fluid and I was assisted by a woman who kept screaming until I finally had to tell her to be quiet. I felt helpless having no equipment or dressing supplies. All I could do was hold his bleeding, crushed head and talk to him while kneeling over him in the middle of the highway while his blood trickled down the hill on the highway. He finally started mumbling and trying to move, but I kept his head and neck immobile the best I could. He finally mumbled something that sounded like a Hail Mary.

When the ambulance finally arrived, they were going to move him without a collar and I told them they weren't moving him at ALL until they put a cervical collar on him, so they ran and got one. I stayed with him until they got ready to head to Wichita. Later I had my hospital contacts check on him and they found out that he had a cervical fracture and an eggshell type fracture of his skull (which I could feel at the time).

Several months later I received a thank-you note from him. Come to find out, he was a Catholic priest. His note was very touching.

 

[HPNFlyGirl]

Wow amazing story Diana. Luckly the priest survived. That was very nice of him to send you a thank you letter.

Today on the ride home I saw that the owners of the fence had already put up the new posts and now it just needs to be painted.

 

[jshawley]

Great job, Brook! And good on you, Diana, for being assertive re: the collar.

 

[silver-eagle]

Great job Brook. It is pretty amazing to me how many people don't get involved. Ya, you'd make a good paramedic. New career?

 

[t0r0nad0]

Good job Brooke!

 

[gprellwitz]

Brook & Diana, Good on both of you!

 

[Dave2]

Great job gals.

And to think all my mornings consist of are trips to the donut shop.

 

[jkaduk]

Great job Brook! BTW could you get a few more TLA's in there? TTFN

 

[AuntPeggy]

Another POA hero.

 

[etsisk]

Why are you always slamming NC, Brook?

"last in work ethics"?? Bullsh*t, Brook. There are a LOT of hardworking people in this state, and industry and commerce knows it - that's why it's growing.

I don't get why you hate it here so much - you got educated here, you learned to fly here, this state's been there for you. Sheesh. We'll let ya leave if you're just miserable, you know.

 

[HPNFlyGirl]

Why are you always slamming NC, Brook?

"last in work ethics"?? Bullsh*t, Brook. There are a LOT of hardworking people in this state, and industry and commerce knows it - that's why it's growing.

I don't get why you hate it here so much - you got educated here, you learned to fly here, this state's been there for you. Sheesh. We'll let ya leave if you're just miserable, you know.

If you don't like what I have in my signature line don't read it Tom.

 

[Let'sgoflying!]

If you don't like what I have in my signature line don't read it Tom.

the only thing most of us are really interested in, is what did you do to, or with, Dan?!

 

[HPNFlyGirl]

the only thing most of us are really interested in, is what did you do to, or with, Dan?!

See that is what I'm talking about.

I took Dan to Paradise time and time again.

 

[etsisk]

If you don't like what I have in my signature line don't read it Tom.

Ditto for you, Brook - but I don't have to let a slur go by unanswered, either! Nor will I, thank you very much.

 

[ausrere]

Way to go Brook! It's nice to see someone who's not afraid to stop and help. We need more people like that in this world.

As far as your sig, don't be afraid to point out the negative things in this world you want to see changed either. Ignoring them certainly won't improve them. I love my state, but there are LOTS of things I'd like to see changed here. I just don't have enough room in the sig line to point them all out.

Now...taking Dan to paradise time and time again... I'm not sure I REALLY want to know.

 

[etsisk]

Lisa, that would work if it were true... instead all it's done is offend those of us (NOT just me) from NC, and insult everyone we know.

Brook is the only one I know with that opinion. I'm happy to say.

There's no difference in that than someone moving up to west virginia and publicly proclaiming that it's "first in in-breeding". It's just an insult.

 

[ausrere]

Lisa, that would work if it were true... instead all it's done is offend those of us (NOT just me) from NC, and insult everyone we know.

Honestly I wouldn't have even noticed the sig line if it hadn't been pointed out. But even if I did I wouldn't have thought much about it. I guess I just have a thicker skin than most. I've read LOTS of comments about Texas that could have been taken as insulting, and some from people currently living in the state. I just choose not to take them personally (even chuckle at some). I'll worry about me embarrassing myself, not someone else embarrassing me over an opinion I may not share.

I think it's kind of like lawyers telling lawyer jokes or Aggies telling Aggie jokes. Doesn't mean all lawyers or Aggies have to agree with them, or like the jokes, but that shouldn't stop the few who do. I figure if someone is living in the area they are making fun of, they are especially entitled to do so if they want. (I mean heck, I'm living in an area that is especially proud of being called weird!) And you are entitled to disagree too. Isn't this country great that way?


Now..back to the regularly scheduled thread topic....

 

[Everskyward]

Honestly I wouldn't have even noticed the sig line if it hadn't been pointed out. But even if I did I wouldn't have thought much about it. I guess I just have a thicker skin than most. I've read LOTS of comments about Texas that could have been taken as insulting, and some from people currently living in the state. I just choose not to take them personally (even chuckle at some). I'll worry about me embarrassing myself, not someone else embarrassing me over an opinion I may not share.

Yeah no kidding. I must have a thicker skin too. People are always taking potshots at California and New Jersey, both places where I have lived and I just shrug it off. Dunno why North Carolina should be immune.

BTW nice job Brook!

 

[etsisk]

Maybe it was just like that straw that so irked that camel we've all heard about...

 

[HPNFlyGirl]

Here are some pictures I took with my cell phone.

1. View from SHP car - filling out the report
2. Truck through fence with fire captain
3. Post through windshield (part 1) - Kinda hard to see since it blends in with the fence
4. Post though windshield (part 2) - This guy was VERY lucky that it wasn't any closer to his body parts than what it was.

 

[flyingcheesehead]

Nice job Brook!

But I'm stoopid and I have some questions:

He wanted to lay down and I told him that he had to stay sitting up until the paramedics arrived.

Whyzat?

The victim was begging for water. After the FF told him NO, I think he was a little upset but he understood.

Again, why?

Medical stuff makes NO sense to me whatsoever.

 

[HPNFlyGirl]

Thanks Kent.

We didn't want him laying down in case he had any spinal injuries. When the paramedics arrived they placed a "C-collar" on him while he was still sitting up. Then with the help of the FF and myself we layed him down gently, rolled him on his side, placed the backboard under him and rolled him on to the backboard. Then strapped him in and placed him on the stretcher.

We woudn't let him have any water in case he was allergic to the medicine (and he didn't know it) the paramedic was going to give him. If he had an allergic reaction and had just had water or anything to drink it could have made matters worse.