Car Crashes

“What has happened to all of the good samaritans of the world? My wife and I just witnessed a car accident on our way home and no one but us stopped to help. He!l, we were the only ones who even let off the gas as we went by. This car hit the dividing wall on the highway and then swerved to the right running off the highway and into the woods where it finally hit a tree dead center. They almost took out a few other cars on their way across all lanes of the highway and even they didn't stop.

Remarkably everyone was ok. There was a family of 4 inside and as I got out of my truck I braced myself for the worst. I was expecting a battlefield as I ran up because of the screams I was hearing. I mean, it sounded like an Italian funeral for multiple dead people. Absolute wailing. Besides being extremely shook up, there wasn't a single scratch on anyone.

One of the girls was on her hands and knees puking because she was so upset, and this was causing the other, youngest girl to freak out. It just so happened that we had the cure for an upset little girl in the truck. She had no coat on so I turned my heat on and put her up in the truck where she was treated with tons of kisses from our miniature dachsund, who it turns out, looks exactly like the dog this family had at home. This immediately caused the girl to forget that anything bad had even happened, and I can't tell you how much that meant to her father. Before we said goodbye he gave me a man hug and hugged my wife so hard I thought he was going to break her. The mom was equally grateful but opted not to hug us as by this time she was covered in her other daughter's puke(gross!).

I can't help but think of how lucky this family is tonight. If you saw this car, you would never believe that no one was injured, or even killed. I mean this car was split in half almost up to the passenger compartment.

I still can't believe that no one so much as slowed down. What has happened to the world? I can remember growing up that my dad would always stop if it looked like someone needed help, even if it was just a flat tire. I also remember that many times, there would be more help than was needed.”

“Nice job ductape. Thanks for showing there is hope for our society.”

“law suits are what happened, and that fact that, in spite of good samaritan laws, rescuers can and do get sued if the rescued folks are further injured by the rescue... ie, someone with a back injury is paralyzed by the fact that they were moved without a back board. the fact that they would have died if left in the vehicle is taken into consideration, but who wants to have to defend their actions in a court of law?

sad, but true.”

“Thanks for helping those folks.
You did good.”

“ErinAnne and I stopped for a two car head on a while back and we were the first to stop even though others had passed before us. Only one other vehicle offered to stop, we asked him to help direct traffic for us until the cops came. Amazingly enough even though it was head on, the worst thing that happened was that one woman had a broken wrist from the airbag, we provided an icebag for her. Mostly it was just getting the women out of the road, getting them to sit down, relax, helping them to make phone calls. Getting jackets and sweaters out of their cars. Basically providing comfort.”

“Several testimonies here to the better "safety cage" in modern cars. Sacrifice the car to protect the passenger zone. Glad it worked for both crashes mentioned here.”

“Not only lawsuits, but people just don't care.”

“I definitely wasn't thinking about a lawsuit. I don't consider myself any better of a human being than the next guy, but geez. WK, I think what bothers me the most is the fact that people really don't care. American Idol started last night. Maybe everyone was in a rush to get home and in front of the tube.

Tech, you're right about the sacrifice made for the safety of cars. It looked to me like the car was designed to crumble everywhere but where it counted. Small price to pay, imo. My insurance isn't going to be any cheaper whether my car crumbles or not.”

“I have helped a few people out when I was present at the scene of an accident. I have also been on the receiving end. Had a nasty crash 10 years ago. The cop was surprised to see me in one piece. Thank the car I was driving at the time. Folded up like an accordian.

You did good ductape!”

“I've seen my share of car crashes, and I've yet to see one where people *didn't* stop.”

“Mutt, that's the way I thought the world worked. I'm glad someone has had your experiences.”

“Mutt lives in the south. Our problem is to many people stopping to 'help'.”

“I've always stopped for accidents where no one was stopped, (you don't want to be too many cars/people on the scene and get in the way/cause more accidents etc). As human beings we owe that to each other! I remember one when I was in the Air Force, happened right in front of us. All of us kids got right out to provide aid. Passel of kids without seatbelts. One little boy of 3 or 4 had a deep gash in his head right down to his skull, I took off my extra shirt and held it to his head to stop the bleeding until the paramedics showed up. I was so cool until I rinsed that dark brown shirt out and the whole sink went red; then I started shaking and went to my knees.

God Bless you ductape, Wounded Knee and everyone else who braves the lawsuits to help. Just don't give meds or move someone unless leaving them there would cause their death, (ie fire, another car hitting them).”

“Yeah, that's pretty much what I meant. Rubberneckers are a damn nuisance, too.”

“I helped an old woman change her flat tire a few weeks ago....she said she had asked alot of drivers and truck drivers (flatted near an industrial park) for help, but none did. I admit it was in a dark parking lot, but her car was right beside the road....maybe people were scared of being mugged or carjacked. I just parked my car so my headlights were pointed at her car...for security and light.”

“Good for you stanlee, I'll have to admit, that's something I haven't done before, so I don't think I could have done it. I would have stopped though and called for help just to make sure she wasn't alone until someone got there. Why would someone leave a woman, especially an older woman alone in the dark?”

“I generally don't stop if somebody else does.

I had one single car accident on the way to work where a jeep cherokee went from one side of the roiad to the other on black ice. Hit the ditch & flipped several times. Car was demolished & all the glass was out. I expected gore & guts. Guy popped up out of the side window with not one scratch on him that I could see. Stayed with him until the local pd arrived.”

“Thanks from the rest of us Ductape, you are true neighbor....”

“rubberneckers have killed more emergency responders than I care to think about...
if people aren't going to stop and help, the least they could do is move along safely!

kudos to all who help eachother out...we're all in this together, ya know. :)”

“The Good Samaratin law covers you if you perform the deed WITHIN the scope of your training and accept no payment. Additionally they MUST accept your help.

I know there are some states where Litigation attorneys have screwed things up (probably some left coast states (LOL), but it comes down to DOING something. We are not REQUIRED per se to stop but it is a matter of conscience.

Usually the best thing to do is keep the patient stable, hold their head in a neutral and inline position (C-spine protection) do the basic ABC stuff and get Help on the way.

clicker could you provide me with some references of cases where people operated within their scope of training, were asked to help and did not charge (i.e. Good Samaritin) and then got sued successfully?”

“You don't HAVE to accept a Good Samaritan’s help in NY. You don't HAVE to accept ambulance personnel's help. They do request you to sign a refusal.”

“Yeah, that's pretty much what I meant. Rubberneckers are a damn nuisance, too.”
Mutt
2:17:28 PM
1/17/07

No #&%!$, I hate rubberneckers. I was working a wreck once and rubberneckers caused two additional wrecks at that location while I was there (including the one where a guy rear ended my cruiser at 25 mph because he was looking at me and one of the victims of the original crash).”

“I live on a hill with a curve that has killed two people since I've been there (13 years). Well technically that's wrong, and excuses their responsibility, they killed themselves by driving too fast, in one case drunk and racing a buddy.

Since we petioned the town and state (its a a state road) to put "chevrons" on the corner (those big yellow signs with the black arrows that follow a curve) the accident rate has gone down.

The hill is at the end of a long straightaway and sweeps down into a reverse banked curve. People come into it with way to much speed and just go straight . . into the woods.


Anyhoo . . .Saturday at 2:30 we were awoken by the telltale screech . ..grinding . . .and then THUMP. Almost before the thump I was moving for the phone. Dialing 911 is almost something I can do in my sleep.

Single car accident. Oddly, in the open space across the street, not down the hill in the woods. Driver got out and was wandering around. I got dressed and was outside with my mag-light within 5 minutes (probably less).

Driver was gone. The car, and Audi A4, was upside down. From the upstairs in the house it looked right side up (heads we on . .and pointing down at a funny angle). It was only when I got out there that I realize the car had flipped.


This guy had been coming UP the hill and went off the the inside of the curve, traveled 50 yards across soft terrain and hit a huge boulder . . .backwards. He must have spun coming across the soft ground. Hit the ONLY obstacle around. Destroyed the back of his car. Blew all his airbags. Crawled out the back door . . .and walked away.

I started a slow concentric circle search of the ara around the car, widening my scope as I went. HOPING that the stae trooper would show SOON. I assumed I would come across the driver somewhere, at some point. Two other cars stopped.

Trooper showed after 10 minutes. Told me to hang out while he got a K-9 unit on scene so that the dog could seperate my scent from the drivers.


Then . . MOM drives up. Says that its her son's car, and he is on his way. They live right up the rode about a mile or so.

Kid staggers down this state road. And I mean STAGGERS. Weaving in classic drunk style from side to side.

Approaches us. Slurs something. I point him to the state trooper (who is still investigating the car) . .he follows a wide looping S-curve between me and the trooper. I shake my head at his mom. Wish her luck. Greet the arriving K-9 unit, who asks me what the story is. I tell him that they are about to get the story . . .and go back across the street to bed.


Since the head on crash that put both cars in flames several years ago . . I now keep and extra fire extinguisher in the garage, and several road flares.

i have not yet had to render direct medical assistance.”

“Damn, I hope they knew Jesus before they died. ..”

“Cat, you can always refuse help...heck I have had it done three times in 19 years.
1. Was in Savannah we had a guy who apparently had picked up a 'working girl" and she was "working on him" when he wrecked (threw a tire 200 feet from the car). After cutting them out of the car, he kept refusing care (even though we noticed a HUGE blood stain spreading in his pants). By the time he passed out adn we assumed care under "Implied Consent" he had lost too much volume.

2. We had an Urban Outdoorsman who had pushed his grocery cart in front of a car on the highway. When we got to him he was using the remains of his grocery cart as a walker (more of a LIMPER) to try to get away. Once again we had to wait until he passed out to treat him.

3. Got a call to a house of two drunks, both are out of their minds, (three empty gallons of Vodka laying near by) and both seemed to have been hurt in "falls". The wife was having "respiratory difficulty" and the Husband was claiming "chest pains". We were able to convice the wife to go to the hospital but the husband denied care, and he proceeded to tip a Gallon bottle up as we left.”

“nigal --

You had better believe, that at 2:30 in the morning, when your ugly ass is lying in the wreck of your car, having woken me out of a sound sleep, the last thing that you are going to want to see is ME, reminding you that there is NO god and no afterlife, and that if you don't pull through, your ugly ass is gonna get et by worms.”

“lee is such a nice guy.”

“I think Nigal was having fun...”

“XL - Bama recently got a Good Samaritan law for professional services. This was a big issue for structural engineers with all of the hurricanes of late. I was at a conference on building investigations in emergencies. The speaker was talking about our new law and how great it was. He gave this same speech to a group of SE's in NY. He noticed the mood in the room was very somber and asked why. The day before, about 90% of the attendees were served with suits stemming from Good Samaritan activities after 911. The 911 families sued every SE who attempted to render help. I imagine this mainly had to do with who could go in which building and determining what was off limits. There's probably a bigger scope there, but that's what comes to mind.”