70salesguy
Only 99 easy payments!
Normally I don't like to be out of town the week before Christmas, but this year it became necessary. I had a couple of things that had to be completed on a project site before the end of the year. So Wednesday night found me having to be away. I had made a reservation at a Comfort Suites close to the jobsite, and at a property where I had stayed before.
I arrived at the hotel about 8:00 pm and found very few cars in the parking lot. My Tahoe probably made about 10 vehicles there. The low occupancy of the hotel was probably due to the fact that it was just a few days before Christmas. I checked in, chatted with the desk clerk for a few minute and proceeded to my room on the second floor.
I entered the room, placed my bag on the stand and turned on the TV. A few seconds later, I started hearing all types of crashing sounds. I looked at the TV and the sound was not coming from there. I turned to look out the window and was startled to see a Tractor-trailer headed straight for the hotel!
Appearing to me as almost in slow motion, the truck took down a utility pole and continued through a fence heading into the hotel parking lot. It continued on a path headed toward my Tahoe in the lot and straight toward the hotel itself. In fact, on a path to hit the hotel directly below my room. Fortunately, the truck stopped short of my Tahoe and the hotel.
I ran out of the room and down the stairs to the parking lot. I had my phone in my hand starting to call 911 when I saw the desk clerk heading out of the lobby with her phone in hand. I asked if she was calling 911 and she said yes, so I headed toward the tractor. Although this picture was taken a few minutes later after all the Police and Fire units had arrived, this is pretty much what I saw :
I ran to the tractor cab to check on the driver and this was the view I saw :
As you can see, the fence was wrapped around the tractor, covering the windshield and tightly blocking the driver's side door. I jumped up on the running board and looked to see what condition the driver might be in. He was moving and I did not see any blood. I ran around to the passenger side and was greeted with this view :
You might notice that there are fluids leaking out of the truck. I was able to climb up on what was actually the tire and wheel assembly that had been sheared off and have a look in the cab. I tried to open the door, but it was locked. I started shouting at the driver to "unlock the door, you have to get out, you're leaking diesel fuel, get out, get out, unlock the door"!
The driver was moving and was able to unlock the door. I pulled the door open and kept shouting that he had to get out NOW! He moved toward the door and I was able to help him out and to get him on the ground. He was very shaky and we were standing in motor oil. I helped him to a grassy area and let him sit down. He had no blood on him, but was not in good shape. He stated he had pain in his upper chest area. His eyes were rolling back some. I got him a folding chair out of my Tahoe, as I always carry one. I got him in the chair and he seemed to be settling down a bit. By this time, the first Fire Truck was there. I ran to the fence and told a fireman that I had the driver and he needed medical attention. The fireman said additional units were on the way, and he needed to check the occupants of the other vehicle to determine who needed medical attention most.
I looked over into the intersection, and this was the view :
The driver of the truck said that the red car had run the light and he had swerved to avoid a direct hit on the car. The truck had caught the corner of the car and spun it around. The truck driver, Mr. Cook, was concerned about the car's occupants. A few minutes later, the medics came over to examine Mr. Cook and then loaded him on the gurney, took him to the vehicle and transported him to the hospital.
I took this picture a few minutes later. The stream on the right is oil from the engine and the one on the left is diesel fuel, which was running across the lot and into the highway. A few minutes later, addition firemen arrived as well as another crew to place absorbent barriers to retain the fuel. They also started putting down absorbent material on the oil and fuel.
By this time we had 4 or 5 city policemen, 4 fire trucks and 2 State Troopers, each arriving in their marked Tahoe patrol vehicles. This picture gives you a better perspective of the location of my Tahoe and the path of the truck :
Eventually, a heavy wrecker arrived at the site to remove the tractor. They uncoupled the trailer and were able to tow the tractor away. The truck was pulling a 53 foot trailer containing U.S. Mail. I knew that soon they would come get the trailer.
I spoke to one of the troopers and they said that the driver was the only occupant of the red car and their injuries were not life-threatening. I never found out if Mr. Cook had broken or fractured his collarbone or a rib, or perhaps was suffering cardiac problems.
About 11:30 pm, another tractor from the same company arrived, hooked up to the tractor and pulled it around into the parking lot. The troopers and others inspected the trailer, and then you could see that the tractor shut off its lights and engine. They were clearly inspecting the rear axles and undercarriage of the trailer. About 15 minutes later, a box van arrived and there was some activity under the trailer. Finally, about 12:05 am, the truck and trailer was on their way and gone.
The folks that were working to repair the traffic signals were out all night, as the utility pole that the truck hit was one of the supports for the traffic signals, and had pulled some of the signals and cables down. As a result, the city police had to man the intersection all night.
This was the view the next morning :
And here is a close up shot. You can see the path of the truck better :
It was fortunate that the hotel was so lightly occupied. The truck came through 9 parking spaces. When I stayed at this same hotel 3 months earlier, it was almost full. Had this been the case this night, it would have looked like a junkyard out there!
I was fortunate that the truck didn't get a little further into the lot and strike my Tahoe or even the hotel.
Too much excitement for me!
I arrived at the hotel about 8:00 pm and found very few cars in the parking lot. My Tahoe probably made about 10 vehicles there. The low occupancy of the hotel was probably due to the fact that it was just a few days before Christmas. I checked in, chatted with the desk clerk for a few minute and proceeded to my room on the second floor.
I entered the room, placed my bag on the stand and turned on the TV. A few seconds later, I started hearing all types of crashing sounds. I looked at the TV and the sound was not coming from there. I turned to look out the window and was startled to see a Tractor-trailer headed straight for the hotel!
Appearing to me as almost in slow motion, the truck took down a utility pole and continued through a fence heading into the hotel parking lot. It continued on a path headed toward my Tahoe in the lot and straight toward the hotel itself. In fact, on a path to hit the hotel directly below my room. Fortunately, the truck stopped short of my Tahoe and the hotel.
I ran out of the room and down the stairs to the parking lot. I had my phone in my hand starting to call 911 when I saw the desk clerk heading out of the lobby with her phone in hand. I asked if she was calling 911 and she said yes, so I headed toward the tractor. Although this picture was taken a few minutes later after all the Police and Fire units had arrived, this is pretty much what I saw :
I ran to the tractor cab to check on the driver and this was the view I saw :
As you can see, the fence was wrapped around the tractor, covering the windshield and tightly blocking the driver's side door. I jumped up on the running board and looked to see what condition the driver might be in. He was moving and I did not see any blood. I ran around to the passenger side and was greeted with this view :
You might notice that there are fluids leaking out of the truck. I was able to climb up on what was actually the tire and wheel assembly that had been sheared off and have a look in the cab. I tried to open the door, but it was locked. I started shouting at the driver to "unlock the door, you have to get out, you're leaking diesel fuel, get out, get out, unlock the door"!
The driver was moving and was able to unlock the door. I pulled the door open and kept shouting that he had to get out NOW! He moved toward the door and I was able to help him out and to get him on the ground. He was very shaky and we were standing in motor oil. I helped him to a grassy area and let him sit down. He had no blood on him, but was not in good shape. He stated he had pain in his upper chest area. His eyes were rolling back some. I got him a folding chair out of my Tahoe, as I always carry one. I got him in the chair and he seemed to be settling down a bit. By this time, the first Fire Truck was there. I ran to the fence and told a fireman that I had the driver and he needed medical attention. The fireman said additional units were on the way, and he needed to check the occupants of the other vehicle to determine who needed medical attention most.
I looked over into the intersection, and this was the view :
The driver of the truck said that the red car had run the light and he had swerved to avoid a direct hit on the car. The truck had caught the corner of the car and spun it around. The truck driver, Mr. Cook, was concerned about the car's occupants. A few minutes later, the medics came over to examine Mr. Cook and then loaded him on the gurney, took him to the vehicle and transported him to the hospital.
I took this picture a few minutes later. The stream on the right is oil from the engine and the one on the left is diesel fuel, which was running across the lot and into the highway. A few minutes later, addition firemen arrived as well as another crew to place absorbent barriers to retain the fuel. They also started putting down absorbent material on the oil and fuel.
By this time we had 4 or 5 city policemen, 4 fire trucks and 2 State Troopers, each arriving in their marked Tahoe patrol vehicles. This picture gives you a better perspective of the location of my Tahoe and the path of the truck :
Eventually, a heavy wrecker arrived at the site to remove the tractor. They uncoupled the trailer and were able to tow the tractor away. The truck was pulling a 53 foot trailer containing U.S. Mail. I knew that soon they would come get the trailer.
I spoke to one of the troopers and they said that the driver was the only occupant of the red car and their injuries were not life-threatening. I never found out if Mr. Cook had broken or fractured his collarbone or a rib, or perhaps was suffering cardiac problems.
About 11:30 pm, another tractor from the same company arrived, hooked up to the tractor and pulled it around into the parking lot. The troopers and others inspected the trailer, and then you could see that the tractor shut off its lights and engine. They were clearly inspecting the rear axles and undercarriage of the trailer. About 15 minutes later, a box van arrived and there was some activity under the trailer. Finally, about 12:05 am, the truck and trailer was on their way and gone.
The folks that were working to repair the traffic signals were out all night, as the utility pole that the truck hit was one of the supports for the traffic signals, and had pulled some of the signals and cables down. As a result, the city police had to man the intersection all night.
This was the view the next morning :
And here is a close up shot. You can see the path of the truck better :
It was fortunate that the hotel was so lightly occupied. The truck came through 9 parking spaces. When I stayed at this same hotel 3 months earlier, it was almost full. Had this been the case this night, it would have looked like a junkyard out there!
I was fortunate that the truck didn't get a little further into the lot and strike my Tahoe or even the hotel.
Too much excitement for me!
