Witnessed a fatal vehicle accident last night

PTSD can strike Years after, it was Over 4 Years later that I was struck down with Severe Depression.

I tried to Resuscitate my own son after the RTA I spoke of Earlier, 25 Years of First Aid Training were of No use in that Situation..

HOWEVER..

Take heart that YOU Tried to do Something when most would not.

That is RARE in this world,

Less than 3% of People would stop (With view to Help)

Get a Debrief with someone Trusted

Careful about having a 'sharp knife' in your car.

Not sure on Canadian laws but here in the UK if you were stopped by the police and they found a fixed blade in your car you would have to have a GOOD reason to have it there.

Ahhh found Canadian legislation:

Canada

Certain knives are designated as 'prohibited weapons' pursuant to the Criminal Code of Canada. Section 84(1) defines such knives as "a knife that has a blade that opens automatically by gravity or centrifugal force or by hand pressure applied to a button, spring or other device in or attached to the handle of the knife".[7][8] By law, only those who have been granted exemption by the Royal Canadian Mounted Police via the Canadian Firearms Program are allowed to possess (but not acquire) prohibited weapons.

If one is found to be in unauthorized possession of prohibited weapon by any law enforcement officer, he or she is liable to maximum of 5 years in jail and the weapon being seized. The peace officer can then apply to a provincial court judge for the said weapon to be forfeited and be disposed as he or she sees fit. The import and export of such devices are also strictly regulated and enforced by the Canada Border Services Agency.[9]

Examples of such knives include:[10]

automatic knives such as switchblades
centrifugal knives such as flick knives or butterfly knives;
gravity knives;
Constant Companion (belt-buckle knife)
finger rings with blades or other sharp objects projecting from the surface;
push daggers;
spiked wristbands;

One-handed opening knives have been designated as legal to import by Canada Border Services as long as they don't fall into one of the prohibited categories.

There is no length restriction on carrying knives within the Criminal Code of Canada; the only restriction is for concealed carry.

Good advice!

OP, glad you started this thread. Keep talking until you feel you don't have the need to do so. People here are listening!

These are better:

[link to www.spservices.co.uk]

(sorry, ex cop so am hyper aware :o) )

Horrible thing to witness. A guy who i work with witnessed a similiar type of accident 3 years ago and never recovered just from seeing it. Stay strong buddy, there's nothing else you could have done.

I carry this as part of my EDC


not 100% legal BUT better to have & not need than to need & not have..

Prayers for you, Kate. And for the family of whoever was in the SUV.

I passed an accident on I540 last week. There was a semi parked or moving slow at the end of an onramp. A pickup was buried under it up to the rear axle. The pickup driver was probably looking behind him to merge into the heavy traffic and probably never saw the semi at the end of the onramp. You've got to pay attention, people. The pickup driver might not have even seen the semi before he hit it.

As if he couldn't see the huge truck! Why is always a semi truck? More likely the semi truck slammed on the brakes after boxing in the victim.

There's a program where these truck drivewrs work with DHS watching for4 terrorism. With all the "accidents" it looks like they follow a hit and kill list.

I have been targeted at least twice by a convoy of trucks. Once right in front of highway patrol who pulled out and went the other way doing nothing. They pull up on your bumper then pass by and box you in.

Another time was by Branson Mo. Going up the hill was thick fog. The thickest i've ever seen. Could not see very far. Semi truck was stopped right in the middle of the road. I saw and avoided the rear of the truck but it was a stupid place to stop.

^this - most people wouldn't even stop.

I am a motorcycle driver. I've witnessed some severe road accidents in my life. You never get used to that, I can assure you. Nobody does. It leaves invisible, permanent scars. But it's part of life to sometimes watch people die without being able to help. You will sleep bad for a while, it's a normal reaction. But life goes on. It has to.

so strange tat you posted this because monday the same thing happened to me! im still traumatized.no one died but were critically injured. still,watching the whole thing was horrible. im a woman and i was trying to direct traffic in the rain while 1 other woman tried to comfort the injured.then......3 more cars came onto the accident and also crashed causing a pile up.it was slow motion.i feel for you and know exactly how you feel. Il say a prayer for you. Our emt,police officers ambulance drivers and firemen and women should have a day to be honored. i dont know how they do it day in and out. God bless you.

Omg.

I'm sorry, OP. hopefully the people trapped in the car weren't concious to feel it.

It was their time? Are you f'n serious?!

Finally some news on this and there was one person in the vehicle.

[link to www.ckom.com]

At least there are people who still care.. hats off to you OP.
Have seen a few accidents myself, many serious & fatal.. but you just get on with it as best as you can, just don't dwell.
As a driver & cyclist.. have seen some tragic accidents out on the road involving motorists, cyclists & pedestrians alike. I'll think about it a while of course.. but just shrug it off as another trajedy I suppose. I ought to get a fire extinghisher & fire blanket in my van. Got a 1st Aid kit.

Wish there were more good souls like you & the others on here.. as I find most people dont' bat an eyelid in response!

My sentiments exactly.

(((((((((((((HUGS)))))))) OP

they were supposed to die@that moment

was completely out of your hands

believe it

I feel for you, and my thoughts go out.

June 4th 2008 I experienced a similar incident without the fire and sat with a man till he died. His wife Called, I played tragic operator.

I will never be the same.

Talking about it is a good thing. Get it out. I didnt and it took 2 years till I got past it.

You did what you could, your part was to be there, and your role is how you translate this into a positive and become stronger for it.

I became very paranoid after that experience and I thought death was lurking everywhere. PLEASE talk it out and know.
People die, It sucks and someday Everybody sees it.

May all the Gods & Spirits Bless and guide You.

An note to all...if the semi was equiped according to DOT reg. then a fire extenguisher should be on the left side of the driver seat in the semi.

This should be part of the drivers walkaround check and should be noted in the log book.

Also flares and triangles/pylons are located in the compartment outside the cab on drivers side.

In saskatchewan this is law...that is the fire extinguisher as well as the flares or pylons/triangles...

The PA highway is well traveled by semi's as you get around weigh scales and DOT so any drivers on that stretch of road need to be very aware.

Peace to you Kate.

Aren't you guys required to carry an extinguisher in every car in the US ?

Here they come with every new car.

I ended up living after the ambulance came.

Good for you, better than ending up dead. You had me worried for a moment.

Get some Obsidian make it into a spearhead or knife and that will cut pretty much anything.

:( how sad... they don't know who the driver is... How can that be!?

I am guessing the car was TWOC?

Sorry for you to have to see that.

It can be traumatic.

As a kid about 10 years old, we were driving back home on a two land road with 50-60 mph speed limit. A Mustang coming in the other direction, crossed over the yellow line and hit and 1950's old style, but big car head on. Saw it all unfold in front of my eyes. The Mustang with a single lady was mangled and I thought for sure dead. My dad ran to the older car which ended off in the ditch on the side. The man driving with his family (the family was all okay with minor injuries was crushed to death by the steering wheel. So he ran over to the Mustang which was smoking like crazy and we were afraid it could blow -- The lady had cut het jugular vein from the glass and blood everywhere. She survived too. Anyhow, I remember police, insureance coming to our house several times over the next couple weeks to interview my father -- they didn't ask us kids though as i guess we were too young.

It stayed with me a while, had some nighmares, especially thinking what would have happened if car exploded while my dad was trying to extract the lady.

Hope you are able to compartmentalize this in your brain, so it doesn't haunt you.

Best wishes!

Yes, you are right. I experienced a situation years ago, it a very dantesque scene (I was a volunteer firefighter and attended a service, a fire in a supermarket on a sunday noon, where more than 400 people lost their lives. That day I felt I'd hit hell on Earth, literally.. You won't want to hear the details though.. that was my personal doomy day.

I think I grew up a lot from this hellish experience.. I started to think about my life, and stopped doing all the things I didn't like to do anymore. I didn't get depressed or anything like this, I mean, it was something beyond sad to see what I saw, but there was nothing I could do anymore.. Wish I could.. But, I learned how easy is to lose your life, actually. So you'd better live it the best way you can, and stop suffering and arguing with everyone about non-sense, especially with your loved ones. I can say that experience changed my life..

So OP, try not to think too much on what you could've done, and if you are the spiritual kind, try to rely on that, or if not, don't waste the chance to show your loved ones how much you care for them. There were lives lost near you, but you still have a chance. Take that as a warning from life to remind you how short it is. So, live fully, live well and make it worth it! Hugs for you!

I had an incident once while driving my daughter home one night from gymnastics.
It was a dark, rainy evening on a curvy country road. I came around a curve and could see a van had hit a tree head on in the road. I stopped put on my bright lights and could see a body lying in the road outside the drivers door.
I left my child in the car and ran to the body. When I got there, I was in total shock. It was a woman in her 30's. Her entire leg was cut off and hanging by a thread.
As she layed in the pouring rain on the pavement, I scooped her head in my lap. All I remember her saying was "Are you an angel?"
What amazed me was how many people saw us in the road,crashed van and all, looked and drove on. I didn't have my cell, so every time a car passed I would scream "CALL FOR HELP"
I sat in the road with her till the ambulance came.
Yes, I remember it like yesterday. But because it was dark and raining, I never saw the blood. only that the leg was gone.

I hate that memory, but I wouldn't change a thing. I tried to help. So did you OP.