Vehicle Crash Reflections

Last Thursday we stopped in Mountain Home Idaho to fuel at the Pilot truck stop shortly before 10:00pm. We were planning to park and eat dinner, but there weren’t any open spaces so we got back onto Interstate 84 heading eastbound. Less than 15 minutes later we saw flashing lights and a couple of cars pulling onto the shoulder ahead of us. Then I saw a single car off the right side of the road that had crashed. I did not see any first responders so I asked Mike to stop the RV and he pulled off the road about 200 yards from the crashed vehicle.

For over 10 years, I was a certified First Aid Instructor for the American Red Cross. Despite my training, I did not think to grab the first aid kit I keep in the back of the Jeep or even a flashlight. We don’t usually travel that late and I was a bit out of sorts. I walked along the shoulder back to the crashed vehicle, passing a woman standing next to one of the parked cars who told me that it had been a single vehicle collision. As I approached the crashed car, there was a group of about 3 bystanders who were standing together about 10-15 feet back from the car looking at it. I asked if anyone had checked on the driver, someone said that the driver was unresponsive, so I assume they had tried to talk to the driver. I continued my survey of the scene and saw damage to the roof and driver door area and the front of the vehicle, an older minivan. I could hear some part of the engine still making noise, possibly the fan belt. The front of the van had steam or smoke coming out of it and I think I heard hissing from the radiator.

Our first aid/emergency supplies bag that we keep in the Jeep

As I approached the van I could see that the driver was slumped over in their seat. Luckily, Elmore County Sheriff’s officer, Corporal Nick Griffin just happened to be passing by, stopped and arrived at the vehicle with his first aid kit as I began to complete an assessment of the driver. I gladly backed out so Corporal Griffin, an official first responder, could take the lead. I was genuinely impressed with his crisis management, patient assessment, and first aid skills. I assisted by getting items out of his first aid kit and holding his flashlight while he worked on the driver.

In addition to being unconscious, we quickly saw that the driver had almost completely severed his left arm. He had arterial bleeding a short distance above the elbow. Corporal Griffin applied a tourniquet quickly and was able to stop the bleeding. This was an extremely bloody scene, clothing was cut away to see if there was any further bleeding, but no other external wounds were observed. The driver was still breathing, but it was shallow. Another bystander was recruited to help secure the airway by holding his head still and against the head rest. While performing first aid, Corporal Griffin was able to call in updates and requests for back-up including EMS and a medevac helicopter using his shoulder mounted radio. This is a tourniquet similar to the one used by Corporal Griffin:

There were two large dogs in the back seat, which the officer had 2 witness/bystanders secure so the front seat could be lowered slightly. EMS and fire vehicles began arriving. They began to assume control of the scene. In order to get the driver out without risking further injury to the spine, the fire department cut the pillar between the front and back seats and cut off the front door. The driver was taken by ambulance to a life support helicopter. The dogs appeared to be alright. They were taken to a local shelter were a veterinarian would examine them.

In talking to the people in the car immediately behind the crash, I learned that the van had started drifting off the left side of the road and then suddenly swerved back across the highway before leaving the road and probably rolling. The front windshield had considerable damage on the driver side and near the roof of the passenger side. The roof was bent in as well as the door frame. Debris was on the ground around the van. I did not see any airbags and believe the van dated to pre-airbag requirements. My belief is that the driver was falling asleep or had a medical issue. This accident was a vivid reminder of how dangerous it is to drive a vehicle when tired.

After sharing our information with Corporal Griffin, we continued on to the rest area in Bliss Idaho where we had planned to spend the night. Shortly after arriving there I received a phone call from Corporal Griffin who was kind enough to let me know that the driver had regained consciousness before boarding the helicopter and was able to answer questions about himself and asking about his dogs, all good signs. It took awhile for my adrenaline rush to calm down enough to sleep that night.

What would you do if you see an accident? Are you prepared? In thinking back to the incident, I was disappointed I did not grab a flashlight or my first aid kit before walking up the shoulder to the scene. I was willing to help the driver. Had Corporal Griffin not arrived, I know how to apply a tourniquet and could have come up with things to make one, but not as quickly or efficiently as the official tourniquet. I saw that Amazon carries a tourniquet similar to the one that was used and ordered one to add to my kit. What if this accident had happened in a more desolate region? The other bystanders did not seem to know what other steps to take after finding out the driver was unconscious. If you like road trips, going to less traveled places, or spending time in the wilderness, it is really important that you learn basic first aid skills. Do you have a first aid kit? I carry bandages, gauze, tape, cloth for a splint, scissors, a cpr face mask, gloves, etc in our Jeep and a smaller hiker’s first aid kit in my backpack. Here are the items I keep in my first aid/emergency kit: