The Day of Tragady
What follows is a post I just made in Something Awful about the events of the day. I think it's best if I just copy/paste what I wrote. Keep in mind there's a part that isn't easy to read. It's noted clearly.
I'm sorry I was absent from SA today, but being so close to the incident and having to do a few things because of it, posting wasn't on my mind.
I work on the 5th floor of the Walker Building (120 Boylston). I graduated from Emerson last May (New Media, BFA) in three years, worked for the IT Help Desk for over two years during undergrad, and now work full-time for Enrollment & Student Affairs. Emerson and I have been together for four years come May.
At the time it happened, I was sitting on the toilet on the 5th floor closest to the street. There's no windows, but there was a freshman writing class in the halls on a break.
There was a slam that occurred. At first I thought it was a bookbag slammed right in front of the door. Then the kids started yelling that some scaffolding fell. When I walked out, the sound of a car horn blared. All the students were huddled against the windows. The TA said "I knew that these things were going to fall. It happens every year."
I stood on a chair to look over the kids and I saw the devastation. There was the debree, a lot of metal, and a white car that wasn't touched. A moment later I noticed the front end of a silver car.
No one would have survived in that car.
All I could do for a few moments was just look. What else can you do? A number of people were on the scene trying to help (but standing back due to the possible electricity and live wires). When I got some of my senses, I ran into my office and told everyone what happened.
After going though the office, I called my mother and father's cell phone. During my dialing, the Fire Department was on the scene as well as a few ambulances. I got their voice mail, but I told them that I was OK, what had happened, and that I love them. Then I called my sister in California and told her what happened. I called a few other close friends both in the area and back home in Michigan that I was OK.
By this time they had started roping off the entire street with cation tape. It was a crime scene and the Walker building was in lock down; Blocking all the entrances/exits to the street and ally. This was also when we couldn't get in contact with one of our coworkers. She didn't have her cell phone on her, so we were very worried. Though at this point we could tell there were at least three people dead. Two were covered in white, and there had to be at least one person in the gray car.
While looking out and making calls, I could see a number of people. The president of the Emerson College, Jackie, was able to go to ground zero. She was very distort; Pointing up at the top of the building and holding her hand to her head. A bunch of the other important people were also there in various ways.
A coworker of mine wanted to get a better look (our offices are flush to the street), so we went to the classroom I was in. At this point there were five people in the classroom. My coworker, the TA, a woman who interns for a broadcast news station, some other woman, and myself. Some machinery was in place to start removing the crane and other debree. They removed the hunk of metal that was the crane and revealed a pile of wood, plastic sheeting, bits of wire and metal. The fireman removed all the bits to uncover the hood of the car.
It was like a soda can flattened on it's side. The length of the car was about 25% longer than it should have been.
A number of firemen start to move around the car. A few of them were being careful to step over a certain white curtain on the ground. A single boot was outside of that sheet; one of the construction workers. The fireman cut the car with Jaws of life. Once finished cutting the top of the car, a set of men were ready with a white blanket. At this point, all major news stations were in the air with helicopters, so they had to remove the hood and cover the victim(s) as soon as possible. I said in the room "They are about to remove the hood. If you don't want to see this, leave now."
WARNING! GRUESOME TEXT AHEAD!
I think there were about 10-15 firemen around the car. They all either held a part of the hood, or they were ready with the blanket. They all looked at each other, then started to remove the hood. There was something caught, so one of them took cut a section off. Then they removed the hood.
I can still picture the man. He wasn't cut up. Nothing was dismembered from what I can tell. He was laying across the seat, but half of his body was flat. Not completely, but half of his face was simply flat. There was blood splattered out of his mouth, but aside from that there was no other blood. He didn't see it coming. He didn't feel a thing.
One of the fireman reached in his pockets to grab any personal effects for later. Then they draped the curtain over.
I decided to look because I wanted to have a face placed with the tragedy. I don't want to remember a number, I want to try and remember the person; the life. My biggest fear of all is to be remembered only by my death. I wanted to make sure I do not apply what I would not wish on myself.
END GRUESOME TEXT
I walked back to the office and made a few more phone calls, IMed a few people, and posted on my LJ that I was still alive. My father called back and I told him what happened. He didn't tell my mother yet, so he gave the phone to her and I told her everything (minus the crushed man).
The rest of the day was shot for me. I was waiting for the higher-ups to give the official statement for admission tours for me to post on the websites we're in control of. Our lost coworker showed up to the office so we were relieved. One of our student workers was also shook up; She had just walked by 5 minutes before the accident. I visited
Later in the afternoon we were able to leave by exiting through the Tufte Building's loading dock (which exits out to Treamont St; Next to the Cutler Majestic Theatre). After getting the statements posted, I checked on everyone left in the office and exited the building. As I was walking out, Jackie and the facilitates management head were talking to each other. Normally I would say hello, but this wasn't the time. It's been a rough day for all of us at Emerson.
Tonight I asked my friends to come to Grendel's in Harvard. Only one was able to show up as the rest were unable to come (for good reasons). I just want to see the people I care about and give them a hug.
-------------------
For me personally, I'll be ok. It's a moment where I'm reminded about how much I'm loved and who the people I care about are.
As for Emerson, I don't know what tomorrow will bring. There's a lot of things up in the air; The housing selection website I designed and co-created is currently booking rooms for that building. And who knows what the investigation will bring. Who knows what's going to happen. Emerson College won't be at fault, that's for sure. This does change things however.
So please, hug your friends the next time you see them. Tell your loved ones that you love them.
Ed. Note: "The Day After" is now posted.
I'm sorry I was absent from SA today, but being so close to the incident and having to do a few things because of it, posting wasn't on my mind.
I work on the 5th floor of the Walker Building (120 Boylston). I graduated from Emerson last May (New Media, BFA) in three years, worked for the IT Help Desk for over two years during undergrad, and now work full-time for Enrollment & Student Affairs. Emerson and I have been together for four years come May.
At the time it happened, I was sitting on the toilet on the 5th floor closest to the street. There's no windows, but there was a freshman writing class in the halls on a break.
There was a slam that occurred. At first I thought it was a bookbag slammed right in front of the door. Then the kids started yelling that some scaffolding fell. When I walked out, the sound of a car horn blared. All the students were huddled against the windows. The TA said "I knew that these things were going to fall. It happens every year."
I stood on a chair to look over the kids and I saw the devastation. There was the debree, a lot of metal, and a white car that wasn't touched. A moment later I noticed the front end of a silver car.
No one would have survived in that car.
All I could do for a few moments was just look. What else can you do? A number of people were on the scene trying to help (but standing back due to the possible electricity and live wires). When I got some of my senses, I ran into my office and told everyone what happened.
After going though the office, I called my mother and father's cell phone. During my dialing, the Fire Department was on the scene as well as a few ambulances. I got their voice mail, but I told them that I was OK, what had happened, and that I love them. Then I called my sister in California and told her what happened. I called a few other close friends both in the area and back home in Michigan that I was OK.
By this time they had started roping off the entire street with cation tape. It was a crime scene and the Walker building was in lock down; Blocking all the entrances/exits to the street and ally. This was also when we couldn't get in contact with one of our coworkers. She didn't have her cell phone on her, so we were very worried. Though at this point we could tell there were at least three people dead. Two were covered in white, and there had to be at least one person in the gray car.
While looking out and making calls, I could see a number of people. The president of the Emerson College, Jackie, was able to go to ground zero. She was very distort; Pointing up at the top of the building and holding her hand to her head. A bunch of the other important people were also there in various ways.
A coworker of mine wanted to get a better look (our offices are flush to the street), so we went to the classroom I was in. At this point there were five people in the classroom. My coworker, the TA, a woman who interns for a broadcast news station, some other woman, and myself. Some machinery was in place to start removing the crane and other debree. They removed the hunk of metal that was the crane and revealed a pile of wood, plastic sheeting, bits of wire and metal. The fireman removed all the bits to uncover the hood of the car.
It was like a soda can flattened on it's side. The length of the car was about 25% longer than it should have been.
A number of firemen start to move around the car. A few of them were being careful to step over a certain white curtain on the ground. A single boot was outside of that sheet; one of the construction workers. The fireman cut the car with Jaws of life. Once finished cutting the top of the car, a set of men were ready with a white blanket. At this point, all major news stations were in the air with helicopters, so they had to remove the hood and cover the victim(s) as soon as possible. I said in the room "They are about to remove the hood. If you don't want to see this, leave now."
WARNING! GRUESOME TEXT AHEAD!
I think there were about 10-15 firemen around the car. They all either held a part of the hood, or they were ready with the blanket. They all looked at each other, then started to remove the hood. There was something caught, so one of them took cut a section off. Then they removed the hood.
I can still picture the man. He wasn't cut up. Nothing was dismembered from what I can tell. He was laying across the seat, but half of his body was flat. Not completely, but half of his face was simply flat. There was blood splattered out of his mouth, but aside from that there was no other blood. He didn't see it coming. He didn't feel a thing.
One of the fireman reached in his pockets to grab any personal effects for later. Then they draped the curtain over.
I decided to look because I wanted to have a face placed with the tragedy. I don't want to remember a number, I want to try and remember the person; the life. My biggest fear of all is to be remembered only by my death. I wanted to make sure I do not apply what I would not wish on myself.
END GRUESOME TEXT
I walked back to the office and made a few more phone calls, IMed a few people, and posted on my LJ that I was still alive. My father called back and I told him what happened. He didn't tell my mother yet, so he gave the phone to her and I told her everything (minus the crushed man).
The rest of the day was shot for me. I was waiting for the higher-ups to give the official statement for admission tours for me to post on the websites we're in control of. Our lost coworker showed up to the office so we were relieved. One of our student workers was also shook up; She had just walked by 5 minutes before the accident. I visited
Later in the afternoon we were able to leave by exiting through the Tufte Building's loading dock (which exits out to Treamont St; Next to the Cutler Majestic Theatre). After getting the statements posted, I checked on everyone left in the office and exited the building. As I was walking out, Jackie and the facilitates management head were talking to each other. Normally I would say hello, but this wasn't the time. It's been a rough day for all of us at Emerson.
Tonight I asked my friends to come to Grendel's in Harvard. Only one was able to show up as the rest were unable to come (for good reasons). I just want to see the people I care about and give them a hug.
-------------------
For me personally, I'll be ok. It's a moment where I'm reminded about how much I'm loved and who the people I care about are.
As for Emerson, I don't know what tomorrow will bring. There's a lot of things up in the air; The housing selection website I designed and co-created is currently booking rooms for that building. And who knows what the investigation will bring. Who knows what's going to happen. Emerson College won't be at fault, that's for sure. This does change things however.
So please, hug your friends the next time you see them. Tell your loved ones that you love them.
Ed. Note: "The Day After" is now posted.