So I was driving home from work this morning around 8:10am on Highway 6 (northbound) towards College Station...... when I saw a Cadillac in the opposite side of the highway sliding down the shoulder (southbound) with NO WHEEL in the front left side. I was like WTF...I should call the cops! Then realized what had just happened. A Mazda Miata convertible was STRUCK by the wheel and tire. I was 3 car lengths behind this vehicle! I couldn't believe my eyes. Everyone slammed on their brakes, I had a semi next to me. He was stopping too. I pulled over, opened my glove box and got some latex gloves out (I'm an EMT...just got off work in Navasota) and ran over to the car. The vehicle had skid marks on the hood from the wheel. The windshield was olayed down all smashed ( the frame too) and the frame to the roof was all smashed down. You could see how the tire went RIGHT THROUGH the car. (BTW...this was northbound lanes). The driver was hit in the head by the object. It was awful. The guy's head was split open, his head was leaned over sideways. Thankfully, he was breathing but he was unconscious. I think the worst part was me being there but not being able to do anything for him because I didn't have any supplies with me. Some other guy who saw the wreck had supplies in his vehicle cause his GF was a paramedic. Also, a student that rode along with us yesterday for 12hrs was behind me on the highway and helped. The patient became very combative due to shock as he became conscious. He had no idea what happened and kept taking off the C-Collar I had put on him. Also he kept sticking his fingers into his split head. I kept trying to stop him and hold the collar in place (hold his C-spine). Eventually someone helped me. Took the firetrucks from CSFD about 5-8min to show up....seemed like forever though. Just thought I'd rant at what happened this morning, it could have easily been me. All this happened right in front of me. Scary stuff. Glad I was there to help him till the FD showed up. I was still in uniform and everything and so had to talk to the cops for a while, and got a bunch of thank yous from the FD. Be careful on those roads people, be aware of your surroundings! With so many people going ot be on the roads this week for Thanksgiving, be safe. And PLEASE...keep your vehicles in good condition (maintenance).
Thankfully you were there. Damn miata and their flying tires. jeez. That's why I've always bought firestone tires.
It was a late model Cadillac that lost the tire. Thought I'd add, this happened where there is a CEMENT BARRIER and the tire jumped it into the northbound lanes.
Good work Uprising, I've been close to a couple accidents so far here in Houston, like ones that literally happened right in front of me. Luckily they have been nothing more than fender benders with no injuries... but still it is a sobering reminder of how easily you could lose everything.
I noticed a lot of wrecks yesterday. I'm guessing the roads were very slick from the first substantial rain in awhile.
I applaud you! On a related note.. I might sound a bit paranoid, but I hate to drive behind anything that is being towed (boat, trailer, etc) or any pickup that has its tailgate open. If you think about it, you're trusting your life and the life of your passengers to the fact that the guy in front of you secured his boat/trailer/stuff properly and safely. I don't trust that. My friend's aunt was killed when she was driving down the highway and the idiot in front of her had not properly secured his boat on its trailer. The boat fell off and destroyed the lady's care and killed all the people in it.
Great job Uprising. It comforts me to know that amdst all the crap out there, there are people like you that are around us willing to step up and help out in a crisis.
scary stuff man. I always wish I had the money to carry around more equipment in my car, too.. Before I became an EMT, I had been in an accident where a volunteer stopped his car and checked me out. Always willing to return the favor now.. (I did help the drunk driver and his gf who hit me, once...that was a weird one) But yeah, so little you can do without equipment. Glad you helped out!
thats nuts. a few weeks ago i was passing through Austin. I just got onto 71 on the West side of the city. There wasnt much traffic but while coming up to one of those very tall overpasses I noticed cars stopping abruptly for "no reason". Then I saw people running from different areas and getting out of their cars. As I got closer I noticed a guy that presumably fell/jumped off the overpass and landed in the far left lane. It had just happened a minute of 2 before (guessing, no cops or EMT, minimal people there). It was an ugly sight. I couldnt help but think if i had not stopped to pee, or been going a little faster earlier what if that did came crashing in on the roof?! then an hour East of austin, there was a BMW that lost control and looked liked it had rolled a few times...it was being pulled out of some trees by a tow truck. Needless to say i was on edge the rest of the drive home.
Thank God you were there! Good job handling that. My sister and I saw a huge wreck on 45 when we were driving home from Dallas this summer. Car slammed into the railing and skidded everywhere RIGHT in front of us. Very freaky.
NO news on the guys condition, but news stations are picking up the wreck now on their sites. They shut down HW6 northbound. http://www.kbtx.com/home/headlines/11571961.html When I stop someone like that, I just hope somewhere down the line it'll be returned if I ever find myself in an accident. It's pretty amazing how many people there are roaming our streets that are related to pre-hospital care or health care in general. Be safe all!
That's a crazy story. And your first instincts when seeing that is to run over and do whatever you can to help! A Clutchfans hero among us!
wow, nice work on helping out. this morning i was almost heads up with a lady who was trying to turn left at the light. instead of staying her appropriate lane, she went into the opposite traffic lane. luckily i had enough time to give her a couple of warning honks. probably had to a lot to do with the fog this morning.
For some reason, I can't picture a "split" head... Good job, Uprising. I always have respect for you EMTs! It is pretty freaky that we could be hit by something while driving. It's scary to think. I remember hearing on the news that some woman got decipicated when something fell off a trailer. I have not seen any major accidents or even minor ones in action. I pray I won't see any anytime soon!
Great work Uprising! Be safe everyone. I'm actually nervous about my travels this week. Never made the drive from Phoenix to Santa Cruz, CA, but I know I-5 out in California has been the scene for a lot of pileups due to the fog.
Just to piggyback on this thread a little more- great work Uprising. I'm quite familiar with that stretch of road there on the outskirts of College Station. My mom actually works right off of Peach Creek Cutoff Road close to TX World Speedway. I'll actually be driving from Houston to Bryan tomorrow on those very same roads and its stories like these that make me even more careful to watch how I'm driving and pay attention to the driving of others. It's good to know that there are still people out there who would go out of their way to assist someone in desperate need for help. Well done.
It's not a pretty sight. ----------- Thanks guys, but I was just doing what anyone should have done. Especially since it's my current job. With all the crap you see people doing to each other around the world, it's nice to see there are still people who care about others. There must have been 10 people around the car trying to help, talking to 911 etc.
