RCCrawler Forums

offroad1911 · 08-07-2007, 04:01 PM

Ive been driving a truck for 11 yrs. now and today was the worst. I was driving on I-465 witch is the loop around Indianapolis, hauling my usual oversize load when the driver of the car ahead of me fell out of it at 60 mph. I put both feet on the brake pedal and also applied the hand valve for the trailer and barely kept from running him over, witch supprised me cause I haul precast concrete wall for buildings that weigh in access of 50,000 lbs. I jumped out figuring he was dead, but he was still breathing but was very badly injured. He had a crack in his skull, his right eye was solid white, compound fracture in his right arm,both legs were broke, road rash like ive never seen before and was bleeding heavily from the mouth.His car proceeded another 3/4 mile and slammed a guard rail. Luckily it did not hit anyone. Myself and another motorist talked to him to try to calm and tried keeping him from moving until paramedics could arrive. I will say his screams will be in my head for a while. Please everyone wear your seatbelt.

CopperTop · 08-07-2007, 04:03 PM

How did he fall out?

Destroyer · 08-07-2007, 04:05 PM

How does one fall out of a car? Was it a Wrangler w/o doors or something similar? Sounds like you did the right things though.

offroad1911 · 08-07-2007, 04:41 PM

It was a mid 90's 4 door Grand Prix and I am still wandering how the door came open or how he came out. Tonight will definitely be a sleepless night. I found out witch hospital he was taken to but they will not tell me anything. Im just so glad it wasnt rush hour or things would have been a lot worse. Ive seen a lot of wrecks and dead people but never been right there with another person screaming like he was.:-(

CopperTop · 08-07-2007, 04:47 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by offroad1911

It was a mid 90's 4 door Grand Prix and I am still wandering how the door came open or how he came out. Tonight will definitely be a sleepless night. I found out witch hospital he was taken to but they will not tell me anything. Im just so glad it wasnt rush hour or things would have been a lot worse. Ive seen a lot of wrecks and dead people but never been right there with another person screaming like he was.:-(

Good luck man, the shock of that stuff will get to you....Keep your mind off of it and work on a Crawler...LOL

FrankyRizzo · 08-07-2007, 04:54 PM

Wow sorry to hear it.

trickedoutTLT06 · 08-07-2007, 06:06 PM

yeah man stuff like that is insane. I was trucking with my dad a few years ago and there were two chicks in a convertable without seatbelts on and another car hit them, they flipped and both came out flying..it was terrible!!

and then the other day on my trip downstate there was a trucker on a back road a very narrow one and there was a guy hauling a wide load in front of us and the trucker had no where to go so the wide load trucker almost ran him off the road into a ditch..I bet the poor guy was scared to death!

clodstall · 08-07-2007, 06:54 PM

glad he is kinda ok man. thoughts go out to him and you and families.good thing you werent going down hill and jack knife it.

Skeeno · 08-07-2007, 06:57 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Destroyer

How does one fall out of a car?

Exactly what I thought. He may have been trying to commit suicide. I hope he doesn't sue you for NOT running him over.

rockwerks · 08-07-2007, 07:10 PM

Im on the road alot, and have seen some pretty nasty stuff, the worst was an old mna fell asleep while driving his Motorhome and went off the road right in front of me into a ponderosa pine. needless to say the Motorhome stopped dead and the old man was ejected out the front through the windshield. I called 911 before I had even stopped.

the old man was hanging from his legs in the pine tree, his right leg torn in half at the knee from the impact. I wrapped up his knee area as tight as I could with a bath towel I had in the truck.

he survived minus the leg from the knee down

bemmermazda · 08-07-2007, 07:24 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rockwerks

Im on the road alot, and have seen some pretty nasty stuff, the worst was an old mna fell asleep while driving his Motorhome and went off the road right in front of me into a ponderosa pine. needless to say the Motorhome stopped dead and the old man was ejected out the front through the windshield. I called 911 before I had even stopped.

the old man was hanging from his legs in the pine tree, his right leg torn in half at the knee from the impact. I wrapped up his knee area as tight as I could with a bath towel I had in the truck.

he survived minus the leg from the knee down

wow......i have no idea how i would act in a situation like that. I know i could never do something like that with out panicking. good work!

Seriously, everyone has to wear their seat-belt and be aware of the road.

cotharyus · 08-07-2007, 07:40 PM

Actually - Seatbelt. Yes. I'm certain I'm here today because I wore one many years ago. We had a 72 (I think) Dodge truck that had a bum door on it - you could close it, and some times it would latch, and sometimes it would just sit there and look closed. I was riding shotgun one day, and it opened up on me while we were going around a turn, and I'm certain that old lap belt is all that kept me in the truck and out of oncoming traffic.

rockwerks · 08-07-2007, 07:40 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bemmermazda

wow......i have no idea how i would act in a situation like that. I know i could never do something like that with out panicking. good work!

Seriously, everyone has to wear their seat-belt and be aware of the road.

time spent as a volunteer fireman, over a bunch of years you see alot.....unfortunately. Im thinking most of us would handle it ok at the time and then fall apart later. I relive those nasties in my dreams. Thats why I dont do it for a living

JasonInAugusta · 08-07-2007, 07:57 PM

Was on a trip to CT last year and saw a guy hit a bridge pillar at 100+ in a mini van.

I was a few hundred feet behind him on the road, watched it all unfold. Ran to the van to check on him (was on phone with 911 before I started running to the van) and didn't see him. He was thrown from the van...about 75 feet away.

Told 911 the status of the guy, and that if they didn't get a heli there soon he was gone. He'd never live to see the hospital in an ambulance. He was unconscious..his body was mush. No compound fractures but his entire body was like jelly. He gurgled as he breathed...never a good sign.

After telling 911 the status of the guy I ran back to the van (now on fire) and searched for more folks. Didn't see anyone else in the van but I did see a car seat - unbuckled. I went nuts. Where is the kid? I searched and searched until the heat was too much to take.

Thanks to the military I've kind of become desensitized to the blood/guts/gore, just react, but I just felt like I couldn't do enough at the time.

The worst part of a situation like that for me is knowing that someone needs help and not having the means to help them.

My one thought that kept eating at me is if I somehow overlooked the kid in the van. I was the only one searching the van and, after seeing the car seat, the thought of a kid in that van ate at me for the rest of the weekend.

Luckily I found out later that weekend that there was no kid in the van.

offroad1911 · 08-07-2007, 08:47 PM

I really appreciate everyones thoughts, it helps take my mind off of it.
I wish I was home to work on a crawler.

bemmermazda · 08-07-2007, 08:51 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by M715ForLife

Wouldent he put a bullet in his head instead?

Only if he buys a gun..

chip cross · 08-07-2007, 08:54 PM

just glad you didn't run him over that would have been he__ on you good to know your a truck driver that has his mind on his job

offroad1911 · 08-07-2007, 08:58 PM

Thanks Chip, I appreciate that. I see way to many guys these days who have no business behind the wheel of a big truck.

chip cross · 08-07-2007, 09:02 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by offroad1911

Thanks Chip, I appreciate that. I see way to many guys these days who have no business behind the wheel of a big truck.

yea you right about that they drive a 15 ton truck like its a race car but then again you got 4 wheelers that pull out in front of a truck and think its gonna stop on a dime i guess some people don't need a DL or CDL

mudplower · 08-07-2007, 09:21 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by chip cross

just glad you didn't run him over that would have been he__ on you good to know your a truck driver that has his mind on his job

yeah no s*** no one treats trucks with respect. my dad had a guy cut across 3 lanes with a camper right in front of him. praying for u bud

08-07-2007, 04:01 PM	#1
offroad1911 Quarry Creeper Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Celina TN. Posts: 452	Most horrific day of my driving career. Ive been driving a truck for 11 yrs. now and today was the worst. I was driving on I-465 witch is the loop around Indianapolis, hauling my usual oversize load when the driver of the car ahead of me fell out of it at 60 mph. I put both feet on the brake pedal and also applied the hand valve for the trailer and barely kept from running him over, witch supprised me cause I haul precast concrete wall for buildings that weigh in access of 50,000 lbs. I jumped out figuring he was dead, but he was still breathing but was very badly injured. He had a crack in his skull, his right eye was solid white, compound fracture in his right arm,both legs were broke, road rash like ive never seen before and was bleeding heavily from the mouth.His car proceeded another 3/4 mile and slammed a guard rail. Luckily it did not hit anyone. Myself and another motorist talked to him to try to calm and tried keeping him from moving until paramedics could arrive. I will say his screams will be in my head for a while. Please everyone wear your seatbelt.

08-07-2007, 04:03 PM	#2
CopperTop Newbie Join Date: Aug 2004 Posts: 30	How did he fall out?

08-07-2007, 04:05 PM	#3
Destroyer Rock Crawler Join Date: Apr 2004 Location: North GA Posts: 824	How does one fall out of a car? Was it a Wrangler w/o doors or something similar? Sounds like you did the right things though.

08-07-2007, 04:41 PM	#4
offroad1911 Quarry Creeper Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Celina TN. Posts: 452	It was a mid 90's 4 door Grand Prix and I am still wandering how the door came open or how he came out. Tonight will definitely be a sleepless night. I found out witch hospital he was taken to but they will not tell me anything. Im just so glad it wasnt rush hour or things would have been a lot worse. Ive seen a lot of wrecks and dead people but never been right there with another person screaming like he was.:-(

08-07-2007, 04:54 PM	#6
FrankyRizzo I wanna be Dave Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: Vegas Posts: 7,172	Wow sorry to hear it.

08-07-2007, 06:06 PM	#7
trickedoutTLT06 RCC Addict Join Date: May 2006 Location: Aroostook county Posts: 1,271	yeah man stuff like that is insane. I was trucking with my dad a few years ago and there were two chicks in a convertable without seatbelts on and another car hit them, they flipped and both came out flying..it was terrible!! and then the other day on my trip downstate there was a trucker on a back road a very narrow one and there was a guy hauling a wide load in front of us and the trucker had no where to go so the wide load trucker almost ran him off the road into a ditch..I bet the poor guy was scared to death!

08-07-2007, 06:54 PM	#8
clodstall I lost my vendor privileges Join Date: May 2006 Location: TOP OF THE HILL Posts: 3,014	glad he is kinda ok man. thoughts go out to him and you and families.good thing you werent going down hill and jack knife it.

08-07-2007, 07:10 PM	#10
rockwerks I wanna be Dave Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: FLAGSTAFF Posts: 3,728	Im on the road alot, and have seen some pretty nasty stuff, the worst was an old mna fell asleep while driving his Motorhome and went off the road right in front of me into a ponderosa pine. needless to say the Motorhome stopped dead and the old man was ejected out the front through the windshield. I called 911 before I had even stopped. the old man was hanging from his legs in the pine tree, his right leg torn in half at the knee from the impact. I wrapped up his knee area as tight as I could with a bath towel I had in the truck. he survived minus the leg from the knee down

08-07-2007, 07:40 PM	#12
cotharyus Quarry Creeper Join Date: Nov 2004 Location: Mid TN Posts: 411	Actually - Seatbelt. Yes. I'm certain I'm here today because I wore one many years ago. We had a 72 (I think) Dodge truck that had a bum door on it - you could close it, and some times it would latch, and sometimes it would just sit there and look closed. I was riding shotgun one day, and it opened up on me while we were going around a turn, and I'm certain that old lap belt is all that kept me in the truck and out of oncoming traffic.

08-07-2007, 07:57 PM	#14
JasonInAugusta 06 Super National Champ Join Date: Jun 2004 Location: Stark Industries Bar and Grill Posts: 11,361	Was on a trip to CT last year and saw a guy hit a bridge pillar at 100+ in a mini van. I was a few hundred feet behind him on the road, watched it all unfold. Ran to the van to check on him (was on phone with 911 before I started running to the van) and didn't see him. He was thrown from the van...about 75 feet away. Told 911 the status of the guy, and that if they didn't get a heli there soon he was gone. He'd never live to see the hospital in an ambulance. He was unconscious..his body was mush. No compound fractures but his entire body was like jelly. He gurgled as he breathed...never a good sign. After telling 911 the status of the guy I ran back to the van (now on fire) and searched for more folks. Didn't see anyone else in the van but I did see a car seat - unbuckled. I went nuts. Where is the kid? I searched and searched until the heat was too much to take. Thanks to the military I've kind of become desensitized to the blood/guts/gore, just react, but I just felt like I couldn't do enough at the time. The worst part of a situation like that for me is knowing that someone needs help and not having the means to help them. My one thought that kept eating at me is if I somehow overlooked the kid in the van. I was the only one searching the van and, after seeing the car seat, the thought of a kid in that van ate at me for the rest of the weekend. Luckily I found out later that weekend that there was no kid in the van.

08-07-2007, 08:47 PM	#15
offroad1911 Quarry Creeper Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Celina TN. Posts: 452	I really appreciate everyones thoughts, it helps take my mind off of it. I wish I was home to work on a crawler.

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08-07-2007, 08:54 PM	#17
chip cross ΜΟΛΩΝ ΛΑΒΕ Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: In tha Bush of Louisiana Posts: 4,343	just glad you didn't run him over that would have been he__ on you good to know your a truck driver that has his mind on his job

08-07-2007, 08:58 PM	#18
offroad1911 Quarry Creeper Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Celina TN. Posts: 452	Thanks Chip, I appreciate that. I see way to many guys these days who have no business behind the wheel of a big truck.

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