Volunteer Fire Department Runs Over Victim

I will say this, I was driving my personal car the other day and there was someone walking in the unlit road, dressed head to toe in black at night, with a black scarf covering her face. Even with headlights I didn't see her till about 30 feet away. Fortunately I was going about 15mph and was able to not hit her. But same person, lying down, with me going 45mph? No way I would have seen her before it was too late. Scary.
 
After talking to one of the medical examiners assistants that worked that scene, they actually are saying she was most likely dead when WOVFD ran her over.
EDIT: And this intersection doesn't have the best lighting in the world. DPS has stated that she was failing to yield right of way to oncoming traffic.
 
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After talking to one of the medical examiners assistants that worked that scene, they actually are saying she was most likely dead when WOVFD ran her over.
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OK. My only problem with the whole thing was the statement being made before the autopsy. It's a bit like saying "Well, the ballistics will match the gun we found on that dude over there" before actually checking to see if it does.
 
usafmedic45 said:
OK. My only problem with the whole thing was the statement being made before the autopsy. It's a bit like saying "Well, the ballistics will match the gun we found on that dude over there" before actually checking to see if it does.
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I will agree with you on that one.

The thing that still bugs me is they said they saw a large object in the road and just went over it. At that location a busy in town location they still should have been driving slow enough that even with just headlights they should have been able to take safe evasive action. And yes I have driven fire trucks and know how the water slosh affects handling.
 
Interesting and tragic story all in one.

My curiosity is why the department responded on that particular route if they knew there was an auto-ped in that intersection. Would dispatch not pass that information on when units went en route? To me that sounds like a failure to effectively plan a response if they did in fact know about the accident.

Also, why did they not stop and at least check / confirm it was a dog? Many department SOP's require you stop and at least inspect if you impact anything while driving.
 
I'd argue that the warning lights make it harder to see someone on the road. Your brain is dealing with changing colors, sudden changes in intensity, movement of the lights themselves. Your brain probably would take longer to process that there was something in the road than if you were just driving normally. Warning lights are to help other people see you, doesn't really make it easier for you to see.
 
Look at the video again, and pay close attention to the telephone poles. Having driven down this roadway I don't recall very many street lights.

Also, keep in mind, this happened in the early morning.

Trying to Arm Chair quarterback this unfortunate situation is foolish at best. It's real easy to sit on your high horse and judge others, when you have no idea what they actually did, what went through their minds, or how it occurred.

Assuming they were driving unsafely or that they were just a bunch of morons merely makes YOU seem like a fool. Actually, no, you don't seem like a fool, you ARE a fool.

JMHO.
 
Flight-LP said:
Interesting and tragic story all in one.

My curiosity is why the department responded on that particular route if they knew there was an auto-ped in that intersection. Would dispatch not pass that information on when units went en route? To me that sounds like a failure to effectively plan a response if they did in fact know about the accident.

Also, why did they not stop and at least check / confirm it was a dog? Many department SOP's require you stop and at least inspect if you impact anything while driving.
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Actually, they don't appear to have known there was an auto ped. And why, when there is a house on fire, would you want to stop and check on a dog?
 
Medic2409 said:
Actually, they don't appear to have known there was an auto ped. And why, when there is a house on fire, would you want to stop and check on a dog?
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To make sure it was actually a dog that you hit, and not a person?
 
Medic2409 said:
Actually, they don't appear to have known there was an auto ped. And why, when there is a house on fire, would you want to stop and check on a dog?
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Right back at ya, why wouldn't you????????

Funny that you are tossing the term "fool" around when you have questionable priorities of an inanimate structure vs. a living organism. But as you said, JMHO..........
 
Medic2409 said:
Actually, they don't appear to have known there was an auto ped. And why, when there is a house on fire, would you want to stop and check on a dog?
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Umm to determine it wasnt a person.
 
I forget sometimes that people that grew up in the City, don't know what it's like to grow up in the Country.

This particular stretch of roadway...very few pedestrians, and I mean VERY few.
 
Medic2409 said:
I forget sometimes that people that grew up in the City, don't know what it's like to grow up in the Country.

This particular stretch of roadway...very few pedestrians, and I mean VERY few.
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And it's also not made for pedestrian traffic. I hate that area of Odessa
 
Further, house fire...quite often potential for entrapment, with potentially people, perhaps children, in danger, vs. stray dog on side of road.

Again, this particular stretch of roadway in a sparsely settled area of West Texas...VERY few pedestrians, fairly good number of stray dogs.

My point is, and has always been, and always will be, one CANNOT blanket judge from their point of view. Manhattan, Los Angeles, even Dallas, is nothing compared to Pecos, Ft. Stockton, Needmore, or Muleshoe. Perhaps the biggest problem with this forum, is that few people realize, that it's not one world.
 
CAOX3 said:
Umm to determine it wasnt a person.
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If I am enroute to a confirmed structure fire, I would not stop to check on what I thought was a dog either. Do you stop everytime you see a dead dog on the road?

That said, I'm going to avoid hitting it if at all possible.
 
Medic2409 said:
. Manhattan, Los Angeles, even Dallas, is nothing compared to Pecos, Ft. Stockton, Needmore, or Muleshoe.
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I get your point, but wouldn't you reverse that statement :D.

(This coming from a guy that has a significant number of residences in his district where the pines on the lot are worth more than the structure...)
 
usalsfyre said:
I get your point, but wouldn't you reverse that statement :D.

(This coming from a guy that has a significant number of residences in his district where the pines on the lot are worth more than the structure...)
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:blush:
Mebbe I shoulda thrown in Edom, Ben Wheeler, Jacksonville, or Lufkin? :D
 
Substitute Alto for Lufkin and you've got it lol.
 
usalsfyre said:
If I am enroute to a confirmed structure fire, I would not stop to check on what I thought was a dog either. Do you stop everytime you see a dead dog on the road?

That said, I'm going to avoid hitting it if at all possible.
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But it wasnt a dog it was a person.

No I don't stop if I see a dead animal in the road, I also wouldn't continue on until I was
100% sure it wasnt a person.
 
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