Had to make a 999 call this evening.
Discussion
I hope its ok to post this, please let me know if not and i'll delete it. I do however feel that an occasional reminder of how accidents can happen is not a bad thing.
On my usual journey home tonight I witnessed a nasty accident, I was travelling along the A1303 between Bottisham and Quy (Cambridgeshire), which is a national speed limit road.
Whilst travelling at the speed limit (60) I noticed a stationary car in the distance waiting to turn right in to a junction so i started to ease off. Unfortunately the small Van in front of me didn't, he was travelling at the same speed as i was, around sixty and his brake lights didn't come on before he hit the stationary VW Passatt.
The sickening feeling I got was something I had never experienced before and rather scary to say the least, instantly I dialed 999 and jumped out quite scared about what I was going to see.
It not right to explain in detail but the Van driver was in a bad way and clearly unconcious, it appeared he hadn't been wearing a seatbelt. Both driver and passenger got out of the passatt, very shaken but appeared un-injured. As I started to try and open the van door really not knowing what to do next two guys jumped out of a passing car, they were firemen on their way home from work. I have never felt such relief!
I really hope the Driver will be ok, he gained conciousness as the Ambulance arrived so fingers crossed.
It just made me realise two things.
1. How quickly and easy such a nasty thing can happen through lapse of concentration.
2. How bloody good our trained emergency service professionals are.
I really don't know what I would have done if those two guys hadn't arrived.
Drive carefully people...
J
On my usual journey home tonight I witnessed a nasty accident, I was travelling along the A1303 between Bottisham and Quy (Cambridgeshire), which is a national speed limit road.
Whilst travelling at the speed limit (60) I noticed a stationary car in the distance waiting to turn right in to a junction so i started to ease off. Unfortunately the small Van in front of me didn't, he was travelling at the same speed as i was, around sixty and his brake lights didn't come on before he hit the stationary VW Passatt.
The sickening feeling I got was something I had never experienced before and rather scary to say the least, instantly I dialed 999 and jumped out quite scared about what I was going to see.
It not right to explain in detail but the Van driver was in a bad way and clearly unconcious, it appeared he hadn't been wearing a seatbelt. Both driver and passenger got out of the passatt, very shaken but appeared un-injured. As I started to try and open the van door really not knowing what to do next two guys jumped out of a passing car, they were firemen on their way home from work. I have never felt such relief!
I really hope the Driver will be ok, he gained conciousness as the Ambulance arrived so fingers crossed.
It just made me realise two things.
1. How quickly and easy such a nasty thing can happen through lapse of concentration.
2. How bloody good our trained emergency service professionals are.
I really don't know what I would have done if those two guys hadn't arrived.
Drive carefully people...
J
It really was to be honest, I have seen accidents before but never been first on the scene which is very scary. I noticed the stationary car ahead a long way before, i kept thinking surely the van will brake in a second, but it just didn't. The weird thing is I have a stiff neck now as I must have braced myself!
And before anyone says it, no I wont be claiming whiplash!
And before anyone says it, no I wont be claiming whiplash!
Had a bloke walk out on the car in front of me, saw him bounce over it, not something I ever want to see again, blocked the road with my car and dialled 999, someone was trying to make him comfortable but it was never going to work. Hsd to attend the coroner hearing as a witness, hardest part was looking in the eyes of his family, even though I had nothing to dog with it I felt so involvef in the death of the bloke.
entwisi said:
Had a bloke walk out on the car in front of me, saw him bounce over it, not something I ever want to see again, blocked the road with my car and dialled 999, someone was trying to make him comfortable but it was never going to work. Hsd to attend the coroner hearing as a witness, hardest part was looking in the eyes of his family, even though I had nothing to dog with it I felt so involvef in the death of the bloke.
I can imagine that must have been awfull, something you will probably never forget. I guess witnessing something can be almost as bad as being involved. Certainly puts things in perspective!
Ummmmmm. A few things come to mind with this. First of all, don't write it down. Leave it for now. Go and do something else completely different, doesn't matter what it is, just do it. Give your mind a chance to process what is happening to you without reliving the experience by trying to remember ever detail. For a start you'll probably get some of it wrong, or mixed up, or out of sequence, and more importantly, you don't want to have to keep 'seeing' the accident in your mind. Play a game, talk to friends, just do something, anything to give some space between now and then.
You don't want to reinforce the pathways in your brain anymore with this accident. Let it be for a while and then when feel calmer and for want of a word the 'energy' in the experience has disipated tried to write your account without accessing the emotive part of your memory.
If it worries you that much, later tomorrow call the police station and ask if the driver is OK - but also mentally be prepared for the fact he might have died - You won't know, so be prepared to hear both outcomes.
Deal with this now, talk to someone, tell them what you saw, tell whem what you thought - even if you've got no one, talk to the samaritans... anyone, until your inner senses let you know you are calm enough to sleep. And tomorrow, if you can take it easy and give your mind a chance to catch up on what has happened.
You don't want to reinforce the pathways in your brain anymore with this accident. Let it be for a while and then when feel calmer and for want of a word the 'energy' in the experience has disipated tried to write your account without accessing the emotive part of your memory.
If it worries you that much, later tomorrow call the police station and ask if the driver is OK - but also mentally be prepared for the fact he might have died - You won't know, so be prepared to hear both outcomes.
Deal with this now, talk to someone, tell them what you saw, tell whem what you thought - even if you've got no one, talk to the samaritans... anyone, until your inner senses let you know you are calm enough to sleep. And tomorrow, if you can take it easy and give your mind a chance to catch up on what has happened.
drivin_me_nuts said:
Ummmmmm. A few things come to mind with this. First of all, don't write it down. Leave it for now. Go and do something else completely different, doesn't matter what it is, just do it. Give your mind a chance to process what is happening to you without reliving the experience by trying to remember ever detail. For a start you'll probably get some of it wrong, or mixed up, or out of sequence, and more importantly, you don't want to have to keep 'seeing' the accident in your mind. Play a game, talk to friends, just do something, anything to give some space between now and then.
You don't want to reinforce the pathways in your brain anymore with this accident. Let it be for a while and then when feel calmer and for want of a word the 'energy' in the experience has disipated tried to write your account without accessing the emotive part of your memory.
If it worries you that much, later tomorrow call the police station and ask if the driver is OK - but also mentally be prepared for the fact he might have died - You won't know, so be prepared to hear both outcomes.
Deal with this now, talk to someone, tell them what you saw, tell whem what you thought - even if you've got no one, talk to the samaritans... anyone, until your inner senses let you know you are calm enough to sleep. And tomorrow, if you can take it easy and give your mind a chance to catch up on what has happened.
Are una psychologist?!? Definitely correct about not reinforcing negative pathwaysYou don't want to reinforce the pathways in your brain anymore with this accident. Let it be for a while and then when feel calmer and for want of a word the 'energy' in the experience has disipated tried to write your account without accessing the emotive part of your memory.
If it worries you that much, later tomorrow call the police station and ask if the driver is OK - but also mentally be prepared for the fact he might have died - You won't know, so be prepared to hear both outcomes.
Deal with this now, talk to someone, tell them what you saw, tell whem what you thought - even if you've got no one, talk to the samaritans... anyone, until your inner senses let you know you are calm enough to sleep. And tomorrow, if you can take it easy and give your mind a chance to catch up on what has happened.
drivin_me_nuts said:
Excellent advice.
I'd add that the OP may suffer shock - I did when a similar thing happened to me.I didn't know it was shock but the docs told me it was and advised a drink as the best cure.
It was an Italian doc so British advise may differ!
OP - hope you are fine and don't suffer from this experience. You did the right thing and the accident wasn't your fault.
Edited by skeggysteve on Thursday 14th July 22:23
I did a first aid course for work. I've never had to deal with anything like this but a few days into the course a couple of people I was doing it with witnessed a car accident happen right in front of them when they were on their way to doing their training so they got to put some of their new found skills into practice. Having those skills to put into use as soon as something happens can really make a difference to someone. It's worth everyone doing a first aid course.
stargazer30 said:
Most likely the van driver was wearing a belt, at 60mph hitting a stationary object he'd have been out the windscreen and killed. Hope he is okay.
Thats was what I thought, it definately wasnt on him when i got there, maybe he undid it straight away before he lost conciousness??
j80jpw said:
stargazer30 said:
Most likely the van driver was wearing a belt, at 60mph hitting a stationary object he'd have been out the windscreen and killed. Hope he is okay.
Thats was what I thought, it definately wasnt on him when i got there, maybe he undid it straight away before he lost conciousness??Also, depending on the physics of the collision, he might have just gone forward into the dashboard without actually contacting the windscreen at all.
Blimey, that must have been quite a shock. My only experience of this was an old lady getting knocked off her mobility scooter by a very slow reversing car that luckily stopped as soon as the impact happened and the old lady was fine once I picked her up from the floor.
I do agree with you though, it just shows how something so stupid can have such a huge impact to peoples lives. It can quickly be taken away.
I remember watching the documentary on the lorry who went up the back of a 206 on the a3 iirc. It was horrible to see the pictures. Even more so that my gf has an identical 206. Her mum was in tears watching it. I wasn't feeling very manly at the time either! Weird how things like the can make you feel.
I also agree on the emergency services. They have to deal with accidents like this all the time. GF's dad was in the traffic section for 31 years and he has some horrific stories and some that he will probably never go in to too much detail about.
I hope the driver is ok and I'm glad the 2 occupants of the passat are ok. I'm sure a full recovery from the van driver will ease some of the shock for you too.
I do agree with you though, it just shows how something so stupid can have such a huge impact to peoples lives. It can quickly be taken away.
I remember watching the documentary on the lorry who went up the back of a 206 on the a3 iirc. It was horrible to see the pictures. Even more so that my gf has an identical 206. Her mum was in tears watching it. I wasn't feeling very manly at the time either! Weird how things like the can make you feel.
I also agree on the emergency services. They have to deal with accidents like this all the time. GF's dad was in the traffic section for 31 years and he has some horrific stories and some that he will probably never go in to too much detail about.
I hope the driver is ok and I'm glad the 2 occupants of the passat are ok. I'm sure a full recovery from the van driver will ease some of the shock for you too.
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