Please don't let this happen to you

[EMSjunkie]

I was unfortunate enough today to work a real nasty call. My partner and I had just cleared our last call and were about to go back to the station when we were dispatched to a "traumatic injury" call. the caller to 911 gave very limited info, and upon call-back, the dispatch center was unable to make contact.   bad sign....   Law enforcement got on scene about 1 min. before us, radioed for Fire Dept. for extrication.....  another bad sign.
pull up on scene to find a 59 Biscayne sitting half in the street, half in the driveway of a residence. noticed something sticking out from under the rear...... I 'll spare the details, just suffice it to say it was'nt pretty. seems that the owner of the car, a 39 year old hispanic male had pulled the car up on a set of steel ramps with the hopes of replacing the trans. only problem was, the driveway sloped gently toward the street, he forgot to block the rear wheels......when he dropped the driveshaft the car rolled off the ramps pinning him under the car and it drug him down the driveway, still pinned under the car. needless to say the injuries he received were not compatable with life.

I have not had the pleasure of meeting any of the Knights and Knightettes
yet, but I have been a user/lurker here for a while now and consider you folks friends. Please use the best tool we have available to us.... our brain!
I'm sure this guy had pulled up on those ramps a hunnert times, but all it takes is one lapse in judgement to ruin your day.

sometimes my job really sucks. :cry:


thanks for letting me vent.

please stay safe.

Vance

[unklian]

[KustomLincolnLady]

Vance, I'm sure that is something you will never forget  :cry:
Thanks for doing what you do and reminding all of us to "use our brains"  
Hope tomorrow is a better day for you.
Debb

[phat rat]

[Bruce Dorsi]

I can honestly admit that I don't have the intestinal fortitude to do the job which you do.   ....I'm uncertain how I would even react if I arrived on the scene you described.

My sincere thanks to you, and other emergency responders, who can deal with these tragedies, yet maintain  their focus and provide help.

My wife has been a critical-care
nurse for 30 years.  ....She only gets to see the ones who make it to the hospital alive, but she has witnessed her share of death, as well.  ....I am in awe of her professionalism, and her ability to function best, when it is needed the most!  

I don't know what else to say, except, "THANK YOU!"

~~~~Bruce

[purplepickup]

Jack, that little guy stands for "shock".  Whenever I hear about a car crushing someone I feel the same way as Ian does.  

There was a similar post on the HAMB a week ago.  Hopefully next time someone takes a chance that the jack will hold or the car won't roll they'll stop and think about this.

[Bob Paulin]

Sadly, I know an oval-track racer who is confined to a wheelchair and uses hand controls in the race car because he had a similar incident occur while removing a front driveshaft from a Four-Wheel Drive pickup

B.P.

[phat rat]

Jack, that little guy stands for "shock".  Whenever I hear about a car crushing someone I feel the same way as Ian does.  

There was a similar post on the HAMB a week ago.  Hopefully next time someone takes a chance that the jack will hold or the car won't roll they'll stop and think about this.

Yea George, it threw me with the metal shaping thing and I realized after I posted that it was in his signature. I also wouldn't be able too do that type of job. My wife was an E.R. nurse for over 30 years in an inner city hospital so I'm well aware of the demands it can place on you.

[Roadstar]

Thanks for giving us something to think about. Sometimes we feel we are doing the right thing but can easily overlook one simple little thing like the car rolling when the dirveshaft is removed.

If you had said the car was stacked up on cinder blocks and old chunks of driftwood I would have to say the owner was  totally irresponsable. But is this case I
I'm sure he felt he the car was at least safely elevated but failed to consider the draveway slope and the fact the car will move once the shaft was removed.


Thanks for posting

[HotRodLadyCrusr]

It's always a shame to hear when something like this happens.  I certainly feel for the guys family and friends.  You have just desribed my mothers worst nightmare.  She's always going out to the garage to check on Dad when he out there working on his rides.  Not that my Dad does stupid things but because accidents happen, thats why they are called accidents.

A couple of years ago Dad had jacked up his '37 on the passanger side and walked to the other side of the garage to get a couple of jackstands.  Before he had a chance to put the stands under the car it fell off the jack causing over $4,000 damage to the running board, door (which was open) and truck (which was also open, deck lid/hinges got twisted).  Thank God Dad wasn't near or under it when it happened.  It wasn't Dad's fault, he had the stands in his hands when it happened.

After this incident it was very easy for Dad to convince Mom that he needed a "lift".

Thanks for the reminder to use engage our brains when working around the garage and for being there when folks need you the most.  You have my heartfelt appreciation for doing the job you do.

[Jimc]

I Have jack stands at the car at each point to be lifted prior to putting a jack under the car.

A force of habit since I witnessed a brand new hy dollar jack fail on the first lift.

The best we can hope to come from this tragic incident is that many lives  or injuries are saved/prevented.

I am also one of those who are thankful there are folks who can respond and help in situations such as this.

Although, the threat and realism of death is present, many lives have been spared by the trained responders.

My thanks go out to you for being there when you are needed most.

[enjenjo]

When fatcat was about 12 years old, I was jacking up a big old Mercury wagon. I had a beand new American made high dollar jack, el cheapo stands. When I let the back of the car down on the stands, they collasped, when the car hit the jack, it blew apart like a bomb, dropping everthing to the floor. Unfortunately, my right hand was under the jack handle, seriously tore up my right index finger, to the tune of 60 some stitches. Combine that with the second finger I had cut off, and had reattached a couple years before, and I had a messed up hand for a long time. Much better now, they all work, but I still have the scars.

Since then, when I jack up a car, after its on stands, I try to shake it off the stands, I shake it hard! Don't want to go through that again.

[tomterrific]

Did you ever think that maybe spreading the word on this accident may have been the reason why you are on earth?  Who knows how many lives you have affected by doing it Thank you!

[EMSjunkie]

Did you ever think that maybe spreading the word on this accident may have been the reason why you are on earth?  Who knows how many lives you have affected by doing it Thank you!

That was the primary reason I wanted to post my experience. if I can save one person for injury or worse, then I feel like I have made a difference. that is the reason I chose the profession I am in. I really appreciate the kind words and the thanks from everyone. you folks are really great.  


please take a minute to think before you leap.
the life you save just may be your own!

God bless and keep each and everyone of you great folks

Vance

[purplepickup]

Putting jackstands under a car can leave you unprotected too, til you get them in place.  This nifty handle came with my motorcyle jack to move it around and it works real good for sticking jack stands under a car too.