Early Morning Commute In Dfw

[FirefightnRick]

If you ever find yourself crushed and trapped inside a vehicle in certain areas of the metroplex on my shift, odds are you may see me(that is if you survive?), because I am part of a heavy rescue team specializing in vehicle extrication. Here are a couple of interesting vehicle extrications we were called to only minutes apart a few shifts ago. The first one is a sandwhich an 18 wheeler made out of a Chrysler. Both drivers survived. This is why I never drive on the inside of any multi-lane highway. Nothing good ever happens in the inside lane.

Then, as the sun came up someone spotted the other accident behind some trees only a mile away from the 1st accident. Apparantly it had happened earlier in the morning and no one had seen it for several hours until daylight. The craziest part of this wreck is that the driver was traveling so fast that when he lost control of his car and veered off the the access road of I-35 he slid nearly 150 yards before jumping and clearling a 20 yard wide concrete drianage canal and continued to rip through several full size pine trees before getting ejected. Usually vehicles out of control and going into culverts and ditches do not clear that wide of a distance without becoming a grease mark on the other side of the concrete. We figured that had it not been for the trees he may have made it up and over the embankment of the crossing freeway ahead of him, which you can see in the background in the second photo.

Be careful out there.

Rick

[KRAM1]

Thanks for all you do to help, Rick! If I get smashed I want you and your team on the scene!

Go Mean Green.

[UNTflyer]

How on earth did the driver survive that???

[SilverEagle]

My son had a roll-over wreck (in his Ford Ranger PU) when he was in college. He hit some black ice at the 35w/North Loop 820 interchange and rolled down the embankment. The first people on the scene assumed that his truck had fallen from one of the overhead roads. The roof was completely mashed down to almost level with the headrests on the seats. My son couldn't remember how he got out, but he only had some cuts and bruises. BTW, he had not been drinking.

It's amazing how flexible we all are and how much punishment we can endure. But if I EVER find myself in need of emergency help (wreck, heart attack etc) I want the Fort Worth Fire department to be called FIRST.

[greenminer]

One of these days a car is going to roll that hard into a concrete pillar that supports an over-pass. That'll be a disastrous day.

[UNTFan23]

The 2nd and 3rd pics are of an SUV?

[KingDL1]

The 2nd and 3rd pics are of an SUV?

I was thinking a minivan?

[greenminer]

I was thinking a minivan?

Looks like a big bush next to the car to me. Just MO.

[FirefightnRick]

How on earth did the driver survive that???

The guy in the Chrysler survived onlyl because it was his side, not the passenger's side, that ended up on top. He crawled out of that hole in the front windshield.

UNTFan23

The 2nd and 3rd pics are of an SUV?

Yes, a Chevy Blazer, which made the airborn accomplishment that much more amazing. It's a shame it wasn't a planned event. The guy could have sold tickets and performed that stunt.....minus the trees on the side of a freeway and his ejection and all of course.

Rick

[LongJim]

I think I know the answer to this, but I fear the ejection ended badly.

[FirefightnRick]

I think I know the answer to this, but I fear the ejection ended badly.

Yup, what's worse than getting run over by someone? Getting run over by your own vehicle. He's underneith the truck on the opposite side. It was sitting on his head when we pulled up and had to wait on the M.E. and PD crime scene before pulling him out.

Rick

Edited March 10, 2009 by FirefightnRick

[UNTLifer]

Yup, what's worse than getting run over by someone? Getting run over by your own vehicle. He's underneith the truck on the opposite side. It was sitting on his head when we pulled up and had to wait on the M.E. and PD crime scene before pulling him out.

Rick

Well, this confirms it. Monday mornings officially suck.

[GoMeanGreen1999]

The guy in the Chrysler survived onlyl because it was his side, not the passenger's side, that ended up on top. He crawled out of that hole in the front windshield.

UNTFan23

Yes, a Chevy Blazer, which made the airborn accomplishment that much more amazing. It's a shame it wasn't a planned event. The guy could have sold tickets and performed that stunt.....minus the trees on the side of a freeway and his ejection and all of course.

Rick

so who's fault was the first one?

Edited March 11, 2009 by GoMeanGreen1999

[FirefightnRick]

so who's fault was the first one?

No idea? As soon as we realized everyone was ok, then heard the call go out of the rollover we left the scene in the hands of PD and jumped on the other call. If I had to guess, by how it usually goes down in similar situations, it was the truck driver's fault for failing to maintian control of his truck, which he will claim "Someone else" cut him off, forcing him over into the chrysler?

Starting at 4:30 this morning, about when it started to rain, we started making vehicle accident calls on I-30. And even though it had not rained in how long???....no one thought to slow down and drive cautious. It was nearly like the previous ice storm all over again. And at one point, in a driving downpour just as we were blocking for one small wrecked car which had gotten tangled up with an 18 wheeler, another 18 wheeler flew by us, disregarding the law and sweeping within a foot of our truck and became entangled with another small car a quarter mile ahead.

Rick

Edited March 11, 2009 by FirefightnRick

[KRAM1]

No idea? As soon as we realized everyone was ok, then heard the call go out of the rollover we left the scene in the hands of PD and jumped on the other call. If I had to guess, by how it usually goes down in similar situations, it was the truck driver's fault for failing to maintian control of his truck, which he will claim "Someone else" cut him off, forcing him over into the chrysler?

Starting at 4:30 this morning, about when it started to rain, we started making vehicle accident calls on I-30. And even though it had not rained in how long???....no one thought to slow down and drive cautious. It was nearly like the previous ice storm all over again. And at one point, in a driving downpour just as we were blocking for one small wrecked car which had gotten tangled up with an 18 wheeler, another 18 wheeler flew by us, disregarding the law and sweeping within a foot of our truck and became entangled with another small car a quarter mile ahead.

Rick

Where's a cop when you need one? Probably working another accident where some idiot didn't take road conditions into consideration. I am constantly amazed at the way people, normally sane and level-headed folks, act when they get behind the wheel of a vehicle. I commute to and from work on 35-E each day and have for over 30 years. The stories I could tell about what I have seen going on in other vehicles would fill a textbook of "what not to do's". I have also taken my fair share of "one finger waves" from folks who cut me off or for whatever reason thought going the speed limit and staying in the middle or right hand lane was just bad driving! Go figure. Scares me these days, as you never know when the next idiot is going to do something really...really stupid. Be careful out there MEAN GREEN NATION...we need all the season ticket buyers we can get!

[The Fake Lonnie Finch]

Dude, this is why I drive in the slow lane these days. I don't care what's going on, I just let people pass if they want to pass. It isn't worth jumping over in the fast lane anymore, not with kids and a wife waiting at home. I drove past about a six car pile up this afternoon on 635, half of which was in the HOV lane, the other half in the "fast" lane. People just rush around too much anymore. It's not worth the risk.