A terrible car accident happened right in front of me on my way home from work tonight. I rang 111 and parked my car so my hazard lights would warn other cars coming as it was quite a dark semi-rural road.
A woman of about my age or a bit younger maybe, was badly hurt and I was the first one to her. I couldn’t open any of her car doors and the steering wheel was jammed into her legs which were obviously broken. I could get to her through the broken window, she had a bad cut on her forehead and I was trying to stop the bleeding with her gym towel while holding her hand as she was freaking out and wouldn’t let me go. By this time another couple of cars had arrived and people had got a guy out of the other car. He didn’t seem too badly hurt.
The ambulance arrived super quickly thank God as the woman was losing consciousness and I didn’t know what to do. Some guys who’d arrived managed to get her car door open with brute force and the ambo’s officers eased her out of the car.
When they had her out I saw her phone on the floor by the pedals. There’s a big thing in NZ about listing an ICE (in case of emergency) number on your cell phone so I thought I’d have a look and sure enough there was an ICE in her contacts so I rang the number and got her husband. The ambo’s told me which hospital they were heading to. Poor guy, I hated telling him.
This was all well over two hours ago but my heart is still racing and my hands are shaking as I type. Rory reckons I was really pale and my bloody clothes gave him a heck of a fright when I walked in the door. I spent 20 minutes in the shower trying to warm up when I got home - it poured with cold autumn rain through the whole episode and I was frozen to the bone. That reminds me I had better go put my blouse in to soak now.
Freaky day.
I don’t even know her name (I think the husband said Olivia) but she’ll be in my prayers tonight.
Nice to know you stopped to help. Just being there would make a difference.
ReplyDeleteI witnessed an accident, there was nothing I could do physically but being there and comforting the driver helped, I did what I could and waited until the air ambulance arrived
I agree the ICE was a wonderfully simple and important idea - more people should do it.
Hope you feel better today ;)
Poor Lou!
ReplyDeleteWhat an awful thing to happen. You did absolutely everything right and I am sure that the woman and her husband will be so grateful that you were first on the scene.
Take care, superwoman.
Wow.
ReplyDeleteThat woman was lucky--if that's the right word--that you stopped. So many people would drive on by. I'm sure you helped a great deal, even being just a hand to hold onto, a kind voice in all the panic.
And I can imagine how scared your boy was, seeing his Mom like that, but I think he ended up being quite proud of you.
I know I am.
What a fun thing to be part of, huh? Thank goodness you did what you did. I'm CPR certified, but I think I'd panic in a real situation like that, and not know what to do. You just being there was comforting to her, I'm sure. I have ICE programmed in my phone, so each time hubby calls from home, it comes up as "ICE". Kind of funny. God bless you for doing what you could until the medical team arrived. Hugs.
ReplyDeleteWow. You're a real hero for doing all that! So many would have just driven on by.
ReplyDeleteWell done, Lou. You did a great thing for her. In times of great stress or trauma, sometimes we just need to know someone is there - that we're not alone.
ReplyDeleteYou're an excellent human being and an inspiring reminder to the rest of us.
What a day! But you were brave and you helped the woman best you could.
ReplyDeleteWell done you do what you did and helping out. I have the ICE numbers in my phone i just hope somebody never has to call them!
ReplyDeleteIt's sppoky isn't it, how quickly and how quietly the accident happens. Nothing like the movies at all. Kind of surreal.
ReplyDeleteLucky you saw it. Out in the sticks they happen and it can be day's before anyone thinks to look in the wreck on the side of the road.
Thanks all for your comments. Scary experience all right.
ReplyDeleteWelcome Hughsey!