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Last Updated: Nov 14, 2008 - 12:49:26 PM |
Most of you have heard about the horrific accident that occurred on Interstate 95 in Colonial Heights, during the wee hours of Saturday morning. Engine and Rescue 14 responded to this incident, due to its being in the southbound lanes, as well as the fact that whenever calls come in for the interstate, it is hard to know exact locations. The accident involved three vehicles: a pickup truck hauling a U-Haul trailer, another vehicle, and a tractor-trailer. On our arrival, the pickup and the other vehicle were against the inside jersey wall, and the tractor-trailer was overturned and on fire in the north and southbound lanes.
Our first priority is to determine number of patients, and to triage those patients as to the severity of injuries. As you have heard in the news, the tractor-trailer driver received life-threatening burns. This was our most critical patient, or as triage goes, was a red patient. The patient was halfway down an embankment, and had to be brought back to the roadway via backboard. Due to the patient’s condition and injuries, I was assigned to the ambulance crew as the RSI (Rapid Sequence Intubation) medic. With three medics in the back and our BLS driver, we transported this patient to the Level 1 Trauma Center.
When you are in the midst of all of the carnage, it is hard to get an idea of what happened on this stretch of interstate. It is also funny that even though we were there, most people knew what caused the accident long before we do. It sounds like the two vehicles, other than the tractor-trailer, were involved in an accident. This stretch of interstate has a curve to the right, which would have blocked others’ view of the accident until they were right on top of it. I am led to believe that the tractor-trailer came around the curve, saw the accident, and took evasive action to prevent further injury or very possibly the death of those in the first accident. These actions kept the tractor-trailer from striking the two vehicles but caused the tractor-trailer to overturn and erupt into flames.
Understand, I was not part of the investigative team for this crash, nor am I privy to the results of the investigation. My speculation comes from the ongoing news follow-ups. It is from all of this that I am led to believe that this truck driver was a hero of sorts, risking his life to save others. My prayers go out to this individual, as I know that he is in one of the greatest battles of his life. John 15:13 states, “Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down his life for his friends.” This truck driver had no idea what lay around that curve, but I believe that he did what had to be done. God bless you, my friend, and may your recovery be swift.
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