First on the scene

[Jim_Rogers]

While driving from my home to my mother's house last evening around 10pm, I came across this accident scene:



 

The person driving was sitting in the car when I went by in the other direction. No police or anyone else there. I quickly turned around and drove back to see if they were hurt and/or didn't have a cell phone to call for help. Believe it or not some people don't have cell phones.

I rolled down the passenger window and asked if anyone was hurt. This very tall fellow stood up and said no he wasn't hurt but he was worried that he may have knocked the power out for the neighborhood.

The minute he spoke I recognized his voice. He is a member of the cemetery committee that I'm on.
I pulled over and got out and stayed there with him.

He called it in to the police and we waited for them to arrive. Then the ambulance arrived and the fire truck arrived.

He refused treatment at the scene and signed off on that. Then the ambulance crew left.
They said they'd have to wait for the power company to arrive before they'd move the car to make sure that the pole was secure and not fall over.
Based on that they said he could go home. So I drove him home about two miles down the road. And I waited until I saw him open his back door and get safely into his house. He is 70 years old.

When I traveled back to my mother's I had to drive by the scene again. And I stopped and told the officer on hand that I got him home. And that I saw him enter his house.

During one of his conversations with the dispatcher on his phone he was asked if the car was alright. Well he said it had a dented hood. But he got into it and started it right up.
The air bag had deployed and I thought that usually when that happens the car won't start. But his did and he shut it right off as he was concerned about the radiator.

I told him that if he needed any further help to feel free to call me. He asked me to call another committee member and let her know that he'd need a ride to a meeting that they are going to both go to tonight. Which I did this morning.

I'm happy he was alright.

Jim Rogers

[Weekend_Sawyer]

You are a good neighbor Jim.

What caused him to go off the road?

[Jim_Rogers]

He said he must have fallen asleep as he had been up since 5 am.

Jim Rogers

PS. he took out a mailbox as well.

[sandhills]

Very good of you Jim, I hate being in that situation, the last time it happened to me I was fortunate enough to be riding with my wife a nurse, and a resident doctor that I grew up with, it takes a LOT of stress out of those situations!  When you're there alone (in my case anyway) and don't really have any training it can be really scary, you never know what you'll find or how to handle it, I learned a lot from my wife and buddy that night.

[r.man]

I don't have a cell phone, our area has been very spotty for coverage until about 5 years ago. It used to be quicker to name the places a cell would work than where they would not. Coverage is better now but I still hear people talking about having to be in a certain spot on their property or in their cottages to get a signal. Hydro One is finally giving up on a lot of broadcast type hydro meters in our area because they can't get them to work reliably.