Anyone want to investigate an accident?
- Thread starter dannyboy
- Start date
dannyboy
From the promised LAND
Hehehe, what makes this an interesting case is the interaction between the fire fighters, rescue personnel, and the police that investigated the accident.
On a side note, one of my kid brothers is a chief in the rescue squad. Been that for many years. A few Thanksgivings ago, we were at my dads just about to eat when a call came in on a wreck on the interstate involving several cars and trucks.
Since the accident site was less than two miles away, he went, even though it was his day off.
Two sisters and their kids traveling to be with family.
One of the sisters had been thrown out, and her legs had been run over by an 18 wheeler. She was in bad shape.
One of the kids, around two years old had also been thrown out, and had been hit by two 18 wheelers. They used a shovel to put the parts into a body bag.
The other sister had come part way through the windshield. From the chest up was a real mess. The other three kids were bumped around, but the trauma they went through........
There are some things you just dont get over. God bless them cause they do a job that many could not do.
d
On a side note, one of my kid brothers is a chief in the rescue squad. Been that for many years. A few Thanksgivings ago, we were at my dads just about to eat when a call came in on a wreck on the interstate involving several cars and trucks.
Since the accident site was less than two miles away, he went, even though it was his day off.
Two sisters and their kids traveling to be with family.
One of the sisters had been thrown out, and her legs had been run over by an 18 wheeler. She was in bad shape.
One of the kids, around two years old had also been thrown out, and had been hit by two 18 wheelers. They used a shovel to put the parts into a body bag.
The other sister had come part way through the windshield. From the chest up was a real mess. The other three kids were bumped around, but the trauma they went through........
There are some things you just dont get over. God bless them cause they do a job that many could not do.
d
helenofcalifornia
Well-Known Member
Huh?
shrimpfire
shrimpfire
Police @ fire fighters and rescue r just the greatest.
During World War I, when a soldier was in pieces and could not be carried by the arms and legs, he was carried in a basket, hence the phrase: "He was a Basket Case!"
fethrs
Well-Known Member
My buddy is a firefighter/emt and he's my hero, he helped save a man's life last year (first time) and he was ecstatic, couldn't stop talking about it. I love him for that, he tells me about the calls they get, and they are not good, it takes a certain type of person to do that.
cachsux
Wah
My hero is the EMT who climbed through the back window and cut himself up on broken glass and crushed sheet metal to keep my wife (girlfriend at the time) alive while they cut the car apart around them to get her out. The whole station was invited to our wedding and still get a basket from us every x-mas.
M
Mike23
Guest
My father was a firefighter for about 35 years and was forced to retire only recently as Captain in Ottawa. He had been at a station that had the third highest calls in Canada which caused A LOT of stress on him.
To get away from the stress they do things such as...put groundhogs in people lunch kits :\ How you CATCH a ground hog and how you PUT the thing in a lunch kit, I have no idea, but apparently it has been done according to my father.
dannyboy
From the promised LAND
Sorry for the delay, I wanted to post this much earlier, but had a hard time getting it all to work out.
This is the way the accident appeared in our local paper
Below is a photo from the scene. HE was in the right lane, went hard right, hit a guardrail, then hard left, through the guard rail on the left just a few feet before the concrete, jumped the concrete sides to the creek (which was pretty dry at the time) and came to rest in the mud. He was thrown from the windshield.
d
This is the way the accident appeared in our local paper
Below is a photo from the scene. HE was in the right lane, went hard right, hit a guardrail, then hard left, through the guard rail on the left just a few feet before the concrete, jumped the concrete sides to the creek (which was pretty dry at the time) and came to rest in the mud. He was thrown from the windshield.
d
DS
Fenderbender
Looks pretty basic,the guy was paying more attention to his egg mcmuffin than driving in a safe manner.If he had his seatbelt on he could've been eating the hash browns waiting for the police to arrive.I'd say fire him,but then again a 6 month suspension would probobly cure this habit.
tieguy
Banned
No seatbelt is a problem.
The breakfast issue may or may not be the cause. Witnesses often give innacurate information.
Any mechanical issues with the vehicle such as a blown front tire?
dannyboy
From the promised LAND
Pretty good DS, that was exactly what he had for breakfast. One point to the super sleuth!
Tie, you wanna know what? That was the first thing that popped into my mind as well. The vast majority of the injuries he recieved were directly due to the fact he went through the windshield. Lost about 3 inches of his leg etc.
You picked up on that as well. Nope, no blown tire. The whole front end was badly damaged during the accident, both from hitting, going through the guard rails, then hitting the concrete sides of the creek bed bridge.
Really, eye witnesses give bad information? Say it aint so.
Ill post back with some more details later on tonight. At first glance the accident seems totally preventable, and was classified as such by the company and the police. What is really interesting is the comedy of errors that led to the police report being used against the driver. And the newspaper printing what you saw above.
d
dannyboy
From the promised LAND
Alright, how did the investigation go so bad on this accident.
Well for starters, the company really liked getting a pass on this one. After all it was all the drivers fault.
But was it?
First, the wife of the driver happens to be my insurance agent. And that morning, he had called her because he was late getting out, and wanted her to meet him for breakfast at McEEDee's. The deliveries he makes are not time sensitive, so no biggy time wise. He also told her that the reason he was late getting out on road was that he had to move his load to the old junker spare.
But she was almost at work, so he ate at the restarant(verified by the people at the restarant.
She also knows that he wears his seat belt, every and each time he is in a moving vehicle. So why was he ejected out of the truck? (Yes Sober, it was only a lap belt, no harness)
So now we know that there is something not right. What went wrong.
Well the policeman (who in this area writes more tickets than anyone else by several multiples, and has the title of head traffic investigator) really did not talk to the driver, he listened in on parts of the conversation.
When they were filling out the medical forms for the Docs at the hospital, they asked him if he had eaten anything lately, and he said he had. The policeman did notice several hamburger and candy bar wrappers, so he made an assumption of the driver eating as he was driving.
The witnesses that saw the accident occur did NOT see him eating, nor did anyone else. What they saw was the sharp right, then hard left across both lanes of traffic.
d
Well for starters, the company really liked getting a pass on this one. After all it was all the drivers fault.
But was it?
First, the wife of the driver happens to be my insurance agent. And that morning, he had called her because he was late getting out, and wanted her to meet him for breakfast at McEEDee's. The deliveries he makes are not time sensitive, so no biggy time wise. He also told her that the reason he was late getting out on road was that he had to move his load to the old junker spare.
But she was almost at work, so he ate at the restarant(verified by the people at the restarant.
She also knows that he wears his seat belt, every and each time he is in a moving vehicle. So why was he ejected out of the truck? (Yes Sober, it was only a lap belt, no harness)
So now we know that there is something not right. What went wrong.
Well the policeman (who in this area writes more tickets than anyone else by several multiples, and has the title of head traffic investigator) really did not talk to the driver, he listened in on parts of the conversation.
When they were filling out the medical forms for the Docs at the hospital, they asked him if he had eaten anything lately, and he said he had. The policeman did notice several hamburger and candy bar wrappers, so he made an assumption of the driver eating as he was driving.
The witnesses that saw the accident occur did NOT see him eating, nor did anyone else. What they saw was the sharp right, then hard left across both lanes of traffic.
d
dannyboy
From the promised LAND
Ok, where were we, had to fix supper.
Ah yes, the witnesses and the cop that investigated the scene. After a lot of background work, both were discounted.
But what about the seat belt and the actual cause of the accident?
Well that took someone from the outside.
The truck was hauled back to the outfits building where it sat against the fence. The investigator went there to test the seatbelt. Almost every single time it was fastened, and then presure was put on the seatbelt, the buckle failed. It just plain turned loose.
I find that interesting. In my years at UPS, everything on the truck that could wear out had a replacement schedule on it. Everything. Except seat belts. For those, there was no scheduled replacement policy. I even contacted GM and Ford for recomendations for replacement recomendations. And both declined to answer for fear of liability issues.
Which means to me that there have been issues in the past, but if we make a comment to you, then we are on the hook.
Anyway, will finish tomorrow.
d
Ah yes, the witnesses and the cop that investigated the scene. After a lot of background work, both were discounted.
But what about the seat belt and the actual cause of the accident?
Well that took someone from the outside.
The truck was hauled back to the outfits building where it sat against the fence. The investigator went there to test the seatbelt. Almost every single time it was fastened, and then presure was put on the seatbelt, the buckle failed. It just plain turned loose.
I find that interesting. In my years at UPS, everything on the truck that could wear out had a replacement schedule on it. Everything. Except seat belts. For those, there was no scheduled replacement policy. I even contacted GM and Ford for recomendations for replacement recomendations. And both declined to answer for fear of liability issues.
Which means to me that there have been issues in the past, but if we make a comment to you, then we are on the hook.
Anyway, will finish tomorrow.
d
DS
Fenderbender
Cool, I like this game.
With the new evidence you've given,heres another theory...
The old p500 had a faulty right side ball joint that gave out when the driver hit a bump,causing it to veer to the right, hitting the guardrail.The lap belt failed upon impact causing him to fall off the seat .While falling to the right,the only thing he had to prevent being thrown out the passenger side window was the steering wheel.This is when he accidently hit the gas pedal with his left foot while grabbing the wheel and caused the car to veer left and cross to the other side and crash.
I may be way off,I feel like Sherlock...or Watson...
With the new evidence you've given,heres another theory...
The old p500 had a faulty right side ball joint that gave out when the driver hit a bump,causing it to veer to the right, hitting the guardrail.The lap belt failed upon impact causing him to fall off the seat .While falling to the right,the only thing he had to prevent being thrown out the passenger side window was the steering wheel.This is when he accidently hit the gas pedal with his left foot while grabbing the wheel and caused the car to veer left and cross to the other side and crash.
I may be way off,I feel like Sherlock...or Watson...
tieguy
Banned
Oh no no definitely colonel mustard in the conservatory with the candlestick.
This raises another interesting point ( as I try to draw sober in) If the seat belt had been a three pointer and failed its possible the g forces could have snapped the drivers neck.
anxiously awaiting chapter three...............
bluehdmc
Well-Known Member
As far as seatbelts being a "wear" item, it's understandable GM or Ford won't comment on it. There still could be product liability if the buckle failed. It's recommended to replace the belt if it is "frayed" but it hasn't been done when I've written up vehicle's for it.
There was a senior in high school, this year, who, on the day of his senior prom, crashed into a telephone pole doing about 100mph, no seatbelt, thrown out and died. His older brother is on the emergancy squad that responded to the call. He didn't know until he got there.
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