On my way home from work just a half hour ago, I was one of the first on the scene of a very bad accident. I take highway 41 home and the holiday traffic was a little bit heavy, but not too bad. I was heading southbound when the cars in front of me started to tap their breaks, and we slowed down. We came to a stop, and I could see about a quarter mile up the road that people had pulled over and were running back and forth through the median. Obviously there was an accident that had just occured.
As traffic inched it's way forward, I could see two smashed cars on the nothbound lanes. A few cars were pulled over to the side, and the people were trying to give CPR to two people lying on the ground. I pulled to the side and got out to aid in getting the traffic moving.
There were already blankets over the windows of the one car, covering the sight of an elderly couple, from oncoming cars. (I went around to the passenger side and could see the entire dash pushed into the man driving, and his wife was crumpled and hanging out the passenger door a little. (Neither seemed to have a seat belt on, but I don't think that would have mattered.)
The other car, the one that came across thye median and struck the elderly couple, was an accordian now, instead of the nice convertable it once was. On the ground were two people covered with blankets, and two more were being given CPR. As emergency crews made it to the scene, I let them do their jobs. I began talking to some of the other people who had been helping, and actually talked to one guy who said he was right in the midst of it all.
He said he saw the convertable lose control and come across the median. It was coming right at him, and he punched the gas. The other car actually took off his driver side mirror as it spun. In a millisecond the car was behind him, and the elderly couple "T-boned" it in the drivers door. I could not make out what type of car the convertable was, it was so badly wrecked.
After a gathered my thoughts, and the State Troopers told us to move along, I took one last look at the old couple. They had some items in the back of their car that made me pretty certain that they were probably heading to their childrens' house for the holiday. I can't imaging getting the call these people were going to get. I can't imaging getting the call that the other people's families would be getting, either.
I think the death toll might get to 5 or 6 on that accident.
As has been stated a million times, you can't take your next breath for granted. The guy who only lost his mirror seemed pretty calm, but I'll bet he feels very different once this all sinks in tonight. I split second sooner, and it is his family being given CPR.
I'm sorry to bring such a shitty tragidy to light on the holidays, but we all need to be very grateful for what we have in this life, no matter how crappy we think we might have it. Give your parents or kids a call a little more often than the holidays. Listen to what your children have to say, and actually take some time to be their friend.
Lastly, don't be too macho or manly to tell the people close to you that you love them.
I hope the rest of you all have a safe holiday, filled with love from friends and family.
yyz
As traffic inched it's way forward, I could see two smashed cars on the nothbound lanes. A few cars were pulled over to the side, and the people were trying to give CPR to two people lying on the ground. I pulled to the side and got out to aid in getting the traffic moving.
There were already blankets over the windows of the one car, covering the sight of an elderly couple, from oncoming cars. (I went around to the passenger side and could see the entire dash pushed into the man driving, and his wife was crumpled and hanging out the passenger door a little. (Neither seemed to have a seat belt on, but I don't think that would have mattered.)
The other car, the one that came across thye median and struck the elderly couple, was an accordian now, instead of the nice convertable it once was. On the ground were two people covered with blankets, and two more were being given CPR. As emergency crews made it to the scene, I let them do their jobs. I began talking to some of the other people who had been helping, and actually talked to one guy who said he was right in the midst of it all.
He said he saw the convertable lose control and come across the median. It was coming right at him, and he punched the gas. The other car actually took off his driver side mirror as it spun. In a millisecond the car was behind him, and the elderly couple "T-boned" it in the drivers door. I could not make out what type of car the convertable was, it was so badly wrecked.
After a gathered my thoughts, and the State Troopers told us to move along, I took one last look at the old couple. They had some items in the back of their car that made me pretty certain that they were probably heading to their childrens' house for the holiday. I can't imaging getting the call these people were going to get. I can't imaging getting the call that the other people's families would be getting, either.
I think the death toll might get to 5 or 6 on that accident.
As has been stated a million times, you can't take your next breath for granted. The guy who only lost his mirror seemed pretty calm, but I'll bet he feels very different once this all sinks in tonight. I split second sooner, and it is his family being given CPR.
I'm sorry to bring such a shitty tragidy to light on the holidays, but we all need to be very grateful for what we have in this life, no matter how crappy we think we might have it. Give your parents or kids a call a little more often than the holidays. Listen to what your children have to say, and actually take some time to be their friend.
Lastly, don't be too macho or manly to tell the people close to you that you love them.
I hope the rest of you all have a safe holiday, filled with love from friends and family.
yyz
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