my 911 call of the ... day? pardon for long journal, but I need to vent somehow...
I just need to write this out and deal with it, so pardon all the details and side notes... I'm still shaken up.
I just got back into my office from having to call 911 for an injured pedestrian hit by a car.
I had crossed Michigan Ave when I heard a "thunk!" a few lanes behind me and turned to see a man on the ground and a van stopped behind him (about 20 feet short of the crosswalk - AH, so THAT'S what those things are for? OK, okay, now is not the time...)
No one was calling 911, so I pulled my cell, ran over to the median (another person had stopped to help at that point) and said "I've got the 911 call!" Luckily the other person who came on scene was a doctor and the man was conscious and moving, although definitely hurt. The driver of the van that hit him stayed on scene as well (good for him) After waiting for 5 or 6 rings for the 911 call to go through (!), I lead with the address and the main reason for the call and was told I would be transferred to the fire Dept(!) at which point I had to repeat all my information (!). After the operator said he would send a truck, I started to ask if he needed me to stay on the line, but HE HUNG UP ON ME! (gawd, gotta love Chicago...).
It was then realized that vehicles were trying to sneak through on the left hand turn lane which would make them drive within inches of the injured pedestrian (who was laying in the middle of 3 lanes). So, I checked the traffic, stepped into the lane and held up my hand to divert traffic to the far right hand lane. What choice did I have?? I felt a war tugging at me: "Don't involve another pedestrian in an accident! (namely: myself!), but I also couldn't allow traffic to continue through and possibly hit the already injured pedestrian. We waited another 10 minutes for a truck to appear, when it did, it arrived with NO POLICE accompaniment (!). A couple minutes later, a cop shows up on a 4 wheeler and drives up to the the drivers of the van... I actually had to interrupt him to make him realize I was a citizen standing in traffic, and perhaps he could put his pretty little 4-wheeler to better use? OK, actually what I said was "UH, could I get a replacement here, please?" So, he moved his bike, excuse me, 4 wheeler over to my lane.
I said "Thank you, considered whether they needed me there any longer (A) medics on scene 2) traffic stopped and c) I did not actually witness accident happen), and then left. At that point, I would just be getting in the way.
Oh, at some point, while serving as traffic cop, I looked up at the driver and his passenger, and thought, they must be shook up. So, I asked him "Are you all right?" It took 2 times for him to realize I was asking HIM that question. "Oh, yeah. I'm just shook up. I never hit anyone before." I assured him the guy looked like he would be all right, and it was good of him to stay and make sure the guy was all right. He said "Oh, yeah, of course. I'm just shook up is all. " He'll be all right." I said again. "You did the right thing to stay."
I guess it just occurred to me, not only how easy it would be to get hit in Chicago traffic, especially if I'm off the crosswalk, but also, how easy it would be to HIT a pedestrian. And to be so shaken by that. You're not a bad person doing a bad thing. You're just a driver who didn't see the rogue pedestrian, and you hit him, and it was an accident, and you didn't mean to hurt anyone. He must have felt awful.
Is it weird that I feel for that driver as mush as I feel for the pedestrian?
Ah, my stomach is in pains right now, so think I'll do a short deep breathing meditation and calm my nerves.
I just got back into my office from having to call 911 for an injured pedestrian hit by a car.
I had crossed Michigan Ave when I heard a "thunk!" a few lanes behind me and turned to see a man on the ground and a van stopped behind him (about 20 feet short of the crosswalk - AH, so THAT'S what those things are for? OK, okay, now is not the time...)
No one was calling 911, so I pulled my cell, ran over to the median (another person had stopped to help at that point) and said "I've got the 911 call!" Luckily the other person who came on scene was a doctor and the man was conscious and moving, although definitely hurt. The driver of the van that hit him stayed on scene as well (good for him) After waiting for 5 or 6 rings for the 911 call to go through (!), I lead with the address and the main reason for the call and was told I would be transferred to the fire Dept(!) at which point I had to repeat all my information (!). After the operator said he would send a truck, I started to ask if he needed me to stay on the line, but HE HUNG UP ON ME! (gawd, gotta love Chicago...).
It was then realized that vehicles were trying to sneak through on the left hand turn lane which would make them drive within inches of the injured pedestrian (who was laying in the middle of 3 lanes). So, I checked the traffic, stepped into the lane and held up my hand to divert traffic to the far right hand lane. What choice did I have?? I felt a war tugging at me: "Don't involve another pedestrian in an accident! (namely: myself!), but I also couldn't allow traffic to continue through and possibly hit the already injured pedestrian. We waited another 10 minutes for a truck to appear, when it did, it arrived with NO POLICE accompaniment (!). A couple minutes later, a cop shows up on a 4 wheeler and drives up to the the drivers of the van... I actually had to interrupt him to make him realize I was a citizen standing in traffic, and perhaps he could put his pretty little 4-wheeler to better use? OK, actually what I said was "UH, could I get a replacement here, please?" So, he moved his bike, excuse me, 4 wheeler over to my lane.
I said "Thank you, considered whether they needed me there any longer (A) medics on scene 2) traffic stopped and c) I did not actually witness accident happen), and then left. At that point, I would just be getting in the way.
Oh, at some point, while serving as traffic cop, I looked up at the driver and his passenger, and thought, they must be shook up. So, I asked him "Are you all right?" It took 2 times for him to realize I was asking HIM that question. "Oh, yeah. I'm just shook up. I never hit anyone before." I assured him the guy looked like he would be all right, and it was good of him to stay and make sure the guy was all right. He said "Oh, yeah, of course. I'm just shook up is all. " He'll be all right." I said again. "You did the right thing to stay."
I guess it just occurred to me, not only how easy it would be to get hit in Chicago traffic, especially if I'm off the crosswalk, but also, how easy it would be to HIT a pedestrian. And to be so shaken by that. You're not a bad person doing a bad thing. You're just a driver who didn't see the rogue pedestrian, and you hit him, and it was an accident, and you didn't mean to hurt anyone. He must have felt awful.
Is it weird that I feel for that driver as mush as I feel for the pedestrian?
Ah, my stomach is in pains right now, so think I'll do a short deep breathing meditation and calm my nerves.