I know how ya feel, last week was really LONG. I was driving home in the blizzard, not any more than a half mile from the house. I look in my mirror and here comes this huge oil tanker-passing me, on a corner, in a non-passing zone of a small rural roadway. I was doing 40, and that was okay for me, not for him, he flies around me and throws dirt, stones, slush, and muddy snow all over my windshield. The snow drifted on the road side is like 30" deep, and the truck just gets sucked in like some black hole.
I throw the windshield wipers on....
they're weighted down by all that s*** that flew up on the hood... I put the hazards on right away, and start breaking more. No dice. four wheel drive is no good on ice. I was sliding, sideways, forward, fishtailing. My truck was sliding sideways, down hill, it cross the west bound lane, slammed into the guard rail, bounced off, turned me around. No vehicles coming, I was okay as long as it stayed on the smooth road. damn. It went off the berm, and rolled over on the pass. side, onto the roof, driver side, back onto the wheels and rolled to a stop against a tree... My mobile radio was crushed between the guard rail and dash and it became keyed. They tell me they heard metal grinding, scraping, and then a loud POOF... airbags went off... my door was crushed w/ the roof so I couldn't get it open. The roof was down about 10 inches, so I had to cut my seat belt, crawl over the seats.
On Star came on, asked if my air bags had deployed, if my vehicle was drive able, and if I needed the police, I was so freaked out I yelled "what the f**k do you think, the front wheels are broken off and the cab is flat-the police will probably want to know". He told the dispatcher that I was disoriented and possibly combative. No, I was pissed off b/c a BP Oil Truck just watched me get creamed and kept on driving, b*****d.
I wasn't going to be carted off to the ER and become a human finger puppet, so I climbed out the pass door and sat on the tailgate until my legs stopped shaking so I could stand up and go examine the remains of my whacker light that were crushed into the frozen ground.
I wasn’t hurt, except a road rash on my left arm, and cuts on my face... something hit me on the head (they think it was the roof), I think it was my dash light, there was a little piece of blue plastic stuck in my face. The cord went over the air bag doo hickey, and was ripped off the dash and hit me when the pass side air bag went off.
The ambulance responded before they were even dispatched (we’re the best
)
b/c our radios have this thing where when you key your radio, it shows up as a specific ID on the base. Mine was the only one constantly open. I bet I broke a few FCC laws cursing my way out.
They arrive on scene and find me under the truck (I crawled under the box to get my bunker gear out), and report that I’m trapped under the vehicle. My brother is the assistant chief, so he freaks out, demands a helicopter, no matter what the weather is. The ambulance crew is freaking out at me b/c I’m moving around, I wiggle back out towing my gear bag, they freak out again. Talking to me like I’m a six year old not understanding what I’m doing.
The state police arrive, how fast were you going... 40... What’s the speed limit... 55... Were you using your safety belt... No I just cut it for the hell of it. Asked him why they weren’t going after the truck driver... well he didn’t do anything.... the f*** he didn’t, since when is it legal to pass in a non passing zone on a blind corner... well loops in the law... in a blizzard? Well, you have to agree... Leaving the scene of an accident? Well... BS! (I got a stern look, he got booted out).......... He was asked to step out b/c he wasn’t helping my blood pressure (190/100)
So I get bandaged up, refuse transport-threaten to walk home... they drive me home (across the street from the firehouse anyway). And this is the first time I’ve gotten out of bed (except for necessary things) since Saturday. I hurt EVERYWHERE, outside, inside, up-down... But I’m not leaving my trusty chair, I have an office chair on both floors, so I can just wheel myself around.
For now I’m stuck w/ the suburban, which isn’t as powerful as my pickup, but it will do.
Moral of the story, if your going out, take the other guy w/ you so he will be there to scream at and take your anger out on. I think I could have gotten his rear wheels if I would have done a 360 instead of hitting the snow bank.
Edited for foul language - FFEMT8978
. I wish every truck had three all the time. Besides I hate to drive so I have been really enjoying it!