A policeman's perspective
Added 31 January 2009 at 5:59am AEST by Swordy
2
Labels:
Trauma professional, Highway, Driving tired, Yourself
Working as a policeman, especially in traffic duties, you never know what is going to happen to you in 30 seconds time.
Early one public holiday morning in the late 90s I was driving along doing my usual patrols when I came to a hill and about 500 metres ahead I could see dark smoke rising into the air. As I came over the top of the hill was a sight that is stored in my brain like a photograph – there are pieces of wreck and twisted metal all over the road and onto the grass beside. This four lane road somehow had allowed a head on collision. There wasn’t much traffic, how could this be?
As I reached what was left of the cars, a lady was propped up in the driver's seat wincing in pain. The front of the car was gone completely up to the dash. Her arm was hanging out of the door. I routinely took her hand to comfort her and made my very quick assessment. The bottom half of her was literally gone from the waist down. She managed to turn her head toward me, look me in the eye and quietly she said, ‘Help me.’ How do you respond to that?
The cause of this crash was a young guy who went fishing the night before, not drinking, not speeding, just fell asleep on the way home and drifted across the road. Cost himself his own life, and someone else their's.
Now I know what I have seen way too many times. I’ve seen twisted metal, and death, and injuries. The scream of people in pain. The pleading. The smell of burning oil on skin. The sounds of sirens and helicopters and police radios blaring. The generators from the rescue squad. The voices of ambulance staff that are so calm and professional.
I get home and I can smell it on my uniform. I have to clean the transmission fluid off my boots.
I feel sorry for the family, the friends, the witnesses, the police, the rescue squads, the firies, the ambos, the towies, the contracted funeral people who take the bodies, the morgue attendants and so many more. I feel massive sorrow for the innocent families of these emergency services people who have absolutely no control over this, but are there to support us, and pick up the pieces of broken hearts and lives.
Every single ounce of pain, sorrow, fear, depression and anxiety that I now suffer daily, along with all those other people I have mentioned, could have been so easily avoided…………
Comments:
Thank you, thank you, thank you! Where would we be without amazing people like yourself that have to witness multiple tragedies on our roads. It must be soooo difficult, I couldn't imagine what it must be like. It takes very special people.
Thank you. I know what you mean, I witnessed a smash with two trucks and one of the drivers was burnt to death. It's in my head every night. And will it ever go away, as it has been two years now. And yes you guys are our heroes.
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