The shock and fear after being in a road accident

Rodney Edwards • Published 26 Nov 2009 09:00 0 Comments

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This may have been a reconstruction but it was eerie and surreal. I found myself "trapped" in a two-car collision along with another male - the sights and sounds felt shockingly real, too real in fact. The car I was in was on its four wheels, the other vehicle opposite was on its side, with a female on board. I was in the passenger seat and wasn't driving.

Fire and Rescue Service Watch Commander Paddy Quinn said it was "common" to see such a collision - particularly in Fermanagh.

Statistics show that rural roads are the most dangerous - 82 of roads deaths this year were on rural roads.

Adding to the realism, moments later police arrived with sirens blaring. A policewoman jumped out and frantically ran over to the driver's door. She opened it and asked us if either of us had any injuries.

In the briefing beforehand we were given our 'injuries' to play out in the demo. The driver with me was to have caused the accident - due to drink driving. He was to be physically 'fine', just a little shoulder damage while I as the passenger, was to have more serious injuries; "You'll not be able to feel your legs," read the brief. Emphasising the fact that a lot of the time passengers are more injured in smashes than the drivers.

When firefighters arrived (eight in all) it felt more real. Had I really been in an accident then this is the moment I think, that it would have really dawned on me - the shock, the horror of what had happened. Firefighters jumped out of their appliances and ran over. Their first job was to identify casualties and get the scene safe for their team.

I was attended by a FPOS [First Person on Scene] who was able to assess injuries until the paramedics arrived. This is vital especially in rural areas where paramedics are being stretched. It's not inconceivable that other emergency services could be away at something else, so fire crews now carry equipment such as defibrillators.

Knowing I had no feeling in my legs, Paddy Quinn, Watch Commander said he was "very alarmed" and needed me out quickly.

"We're going to stabilise the vehicle. Say you have a spinal injury and we jerk that car, that twist could be enough to paralyse you. We have blocks to stabilise the vehicle - that gives us a solid platform to work on," explained Paddy.

His team checked the other casualty in the car opposite and found that she only had a sore side and head after her car rolled. With a limited number of firefighters, Paddy said his focus was on getting me out first; "As you have the worst injuries, we need to get you out now," he said.

"But if another casualty went downhill, I might have to redirect my resources - leaving you to see to others,"

"We will now create a space to remove you - it's called space creation. Then we're going to break the glass of the car," explained Paddy.

I was covered with soft plastic protection and the firefighters broke the glass. The noise of the equipment, the shattering of glass, the sound of commotion all merged into genuine fear. Bits of broken glass covered my hair and coat. I closed my eyes and could just hear bang after bang after bang. The only noise missing commented the policewoman, was the sound of screams.

Hydraulic equipment such as cutters, spreaders and saws were being used as firefighters cut the roof open, slicing it forward like a tin can.

"We're going to put a neck collar on you now because we're concerned that you can't feel your legs. We will then place you on a long board for safety and remove you upwards - because it's important we keep your back straight, we can't take any chances,"

Quickly and safely I was removed from the smash and into the safety of emergency services. And the drunk driver was arrested, having been responsible for the two car smash. Stupidly he - and many drivers - kill innocent people time and time again. And many grieving families in Fermanagh know that only too well.

This may have been pretend but the next time you see pictures in this newspaper like these, it'll be for real. Another tragedy on our roads, another family member injured or dead. Surely enough is enough? Slow down, take care and wise up is the message from the emergency services.

This article appeared in Impartial Reporter 26 Nov 09

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