Just another morning commute.... (531 hits)
Category: Quotes & StoriesRating: 1.25 on 14 reviews (Rate this item) (V)
Submitted by P W <fort_weyrleader.at.yahoo.com> (View user info) at 2005-01-25 20:48:41 EST
Well, today was certainly an interesting day....
I get up at 7:30, thanks to my zealous father. No matter that my first class starts at 10:50. He leaves, but I get up anyway. Take a shower. Get dressed. Clean up some random things. Get ready to make the commute to DuBois.
I leave at about 10:00am. All is going normally, especially the idiot drivers downtown as I make my way to State Route 153.
I merge onto Interstate 80 about fifteen minutes later.
The drive to DuBois is fine. The roads are fine, not too much traffic. I round a bend at about mile marker 106.
There, about a half-mile in front of me, I witness a car come to an iffy halt in the snow after flying off the main road. It was in one of those places where there was no guiderail, and the right side of the road drops off after about a six-foot pull-off/curb area. I slowed down and started to pull over. I put my flashers on and get out of the car. I put on my Sheriff's Office hat that I thankfully happened to have in the car, hoping to minimize the chances that someone may try to hit me. Hitting a sheriff's deputy may impact your ability to drive in the future.
I walk off the road; there is a small Toyota resting about 15-20 feet away from the road's edge and now about 8 feet below the road level. He's lucky he stopped; he could have all too easily careened all the way down to the forest and hit a tree. The engine is still running.
I trudge down to the car, the snow is about 2 feet deep piled up against the highway bank here. My pants are getting filthy, but that was only a small concern. The snow is up so high around the tiny Toyota that he could not have opened his door even if he tried. Perhaps he had. In any case, the snow was probably what had saved his life. I finally make it to the driver's side window, where I see a guy whose face is alternating between fear, terror, anger, and finally relief when he sees me peering into his window.
I wave and he starts to lower the window. When he gets it all the way down, he looks up at me, obviously shaken, and says, "hey."
I look at him, he's about in his mid-20's, about my age, and instantly I know what I'm about to say. I get a serious look on my face and look him straight in the eye.
"Hey. Are you stuck?" Totally deadpan.
He stares at me for about 3 seconds without saying anything, then bursts out laughing. Pleased that it had the desired effect, I smile back at him.
"Yeah, I went and drove myself off the road."
"Need a hand? Have a cellphone?"
"No, I don't."
Figuring that meant no, he didn't have a cellphone, I called the State Police for him. The dispatcher who answered was a woman, and asked if she could help me much in the way that a lady working at a bank would. Cool as ice and all business. I said yes, there was an accident on I80, and could you please send a patrol cruiser? She asked me some general questions pertaining to the location and whether the driver was ok, then told me to wait there until a trooper showed up.
He did about 10 minutes later. Mostly, I filled the time talking to the unfortunate motorist. I found that he was going to DuBois too, didn't actually own the car, and was pissed as hell. When the trooper got there, he thanked me, then the trooper thanked me, and I left, feeling very good about myself.
But damn, was I late for class.
User Reviews
Submitted by BLITZKREIG_BOB (user info) at 2005-01-28 12:59:05 EST (#)
Ranking: 2
I call shenanigans!
No way does the PSP respond within an hour.
Submitted by Atomiknight (user info) at 2005-01-26 10:21:13 EST (#)
Ranking: 0
Just to answer your question, yes, I am required to stop.
Of course, so is everyone else. Refusing to provide assistance to someone who may be in need of it is a violation of the Good Samaritan Laws. These laws also protect you from legal liabibilty when you are assisting. Laypersons would be covered by that part, but I am not because I am trained.
Submitted by TheSpook (user info) at 2005-01-26 09:47:18 EST (#)
Ranking: 2
I pulled some crazy woman from a wrecked car once. Some minivan full of teenagers pulled out in front of her and she broadsided them. It was pretty bad, but everyone was ok.
She thanked me by yelling at me and complaining about her lost purse. She also yelled at me for using her cell phone to call the police. I felt so much pride...
Submitted by The_Wizard (user info) at 2005-01-26 02:24:30 EST (#)
Ranking: 1
He has to stop. Unless I'm wrong, all emergency personel have to stop at an emergency if they are off duty or on. And I don't think I'm wrong.
It is against the law for them not to stop.
Submitted by Banga3386 (user info) at 2005-01-26 02:17:33 EST (#)
Ranking: 1
I like your descriptions and attention to detail. Good first post.
Submitted by ILL34GL3 (user info) at 2005-01-26 02:09:18 EST (#)
Ranking: -1
I can't believe I read all of that and just got one half-assed joke out of it. You're a good writer though.
Submitted by QueenSkye (user info) at 2005-01-26 00:08:28 EST (#)
Ranking: 2
+2 because a lot of people would not have stopped
Submitted by Mister_Fahrenheit (user info) at 2005-01-25 22:53:33 EST (#)
Ranking: 2
No Comment
Submitted by OneCheapGeek (user info) at 2005-01-25 21:58:59 EST (#)
Ranking: 0
I bet you looked just like Smokey the Bear.
Submitted by Atomiknight (user info) at 2005-01-25 21:40:49 EST (#)
Ranking: 2
hey, thanks man. As the cliche goes, long time reader, first time poster.
Plan to post rather regularly.
And BTW, that just happened this morning, and seemed worthy of my first post.
Submitted by GodLovesALittleLovin (user info) at 2005-01-25 21:33:17 EST (#)
Ranking: 2
hey, this wasn't bad for a first post....
+2
Submitted by MandaPanda (user info) at 2005-01-25 21:15:25 EST (#)
Ranking: 2
Aww!
Submitted by Impassive-Digressive (user info) at 2005-01-25 20:52:24 EST (#)
Ranking: 0
Go Good Samaritanism woo!
Submitted by jgreening (user info) at 2005-01-25 20:52:09 EST (#)
Ranking: 2
Good for you.
But you should have peed towards his tire.
Since you couldn't pee ON his tire...
Since they are in a lot of snow...
Yeah.