Why Wet Roads and Cellphones Don't Mix

[HeavenShallBurn]

On my way back from town I was graphically reminded why wet roads and cell phones don't mix. The first things I saw was the smoke rising from the hood of a wrecked Honda in the border of the field alongside the road. Then the woman lying in the ditch just off the shoulder about seventy feet away. She had compound fractures on her right arm, a broken pelvis, head injuries, and most likely internal injuries as well. The last thing she remembered doing prior to lying there in the rain was talking to someone on a cellphone.

Luckily she'd wrecked just a few minutes before I got there and it was at the tail end of rush hour when the factories in the nearest town let out so there was traffic on the road. Otherwise she could have lain their for an hour or more without anybody passing by on that road. I gave what help I could, put a blanket over her, held an umbrella to keep the rain off, kept her calm and talking cause she was shocky and I worried about her losing consciousness, prevented her from moving. Problem was she wrecked in a spot where I couldn't get coverage on my cell phone. It wasn't until the sixth person to arrive that somebody actually managed to get through to 911, and the lifeflight helos were grounded due to weather. It took a good hour and a quarter for the EMS to get on site.

One of the trucks that stopped to help me render aid turned out to be her husband, that was the worst part. It wasn't until he got close that he recognized her and when he saw her injuries I though he was going to be in shock too. But he turned out to be a great help, kept his head, did a great job of keeping her calm and not moving until the EMS got there. Once him and two or three other people were there I tried to get the car turned off since it was smoking and I was worried about fire but I couldn't get it out of gear. Eventually the EMS had to pry the hood open with a crowbar and disconnect the battery to make it stop.

I hope she recovers. The entire thing was a slug between the eyes that reminded me just why I don't use the cell phone while driving, especially on wet roads. And it made me want to remind EN Worlders because I wouldn't want that happening to anyone here.

 

[Umbran]

Dude, you did a good thing today. My hat's off to you.

 

[Mycanid]

Oy vey ... ouch and more ouch.

At least the woman is alive....

Poor lady.

Oorah for you sir!

 

[Vraille Darkfang]

On my way back from town I was graphically reminded why wet roads and cell phones don't mix. The entire thing was a slug between the eyes that reminded me just why I don't use the cell phone while driving, especially on wet roads. And it made me want to remind EN Worlders because I wouldn't want that happening to anyone here.

Good for you!

However, you don't need the Wet Quantifier in there. Driving while talking on Cell Phones is Dangerous & Stupid. I comunte 30 Minutes to & from work along I-70. As I go to work at 6 AM, I'm pretty sure most of those driver weebling & wobbling are on cell phones.

I've nearly been in 3 accidents due to other peopl not paying a darn bit on attention beyond the yammering in their ears (luckily, I'm a very defensive driver & avoided the situations ahead of time).

There was a recent nasty accident where several girls who just graduated high school swerved into the wrong lane & plowed head first into a Semi.

There were no surviors (execept the Truck Driver). Records indicate several Text Messages were flying just seconds before the accident.

The number of Cell Phone Conversations that end with "AIEEEEEEEE! Crash! 'Call Disconnected' is way too high.

There are stories every day way Cell Phones & Driving don't mix. Your story is just one of them.

And not even the most dire, sadly enough

 

[Varianor Abroad]

Dude, you did a good thing today. My hat's off to you.

Seconded! She's darn lucky to live, and hopefully be repairable.

Many states are enacting harsher "distracted driver" laws, and with good reason.

 

[Harmon]

Fine, fine job <mighty thumbs up to you>

T'is a good thing you did.

 

[HeavenShallBurn]

I didn't do anything special, or that anyone else wouldn't have done. In fact just about everyone who used the road after me stopped to see what aid they could render too.

Thing is she wrecked on one of the few straight and mostly level parts of that twisty country road where wrecking should have been damned hard to do, and talking on her cell phone was clearly the main cause. And it also pointed out that the cell towers around here are very poorly sited. This happened in an upland area and the nearest cell tower is in a valley behind a pair of ridge-lines obscured from the uplands. The only people who could get a signal out had a vehicle antennae extension and were probably picking up the signal from one farther away near the Interstate but up on the high ground where we were

 

[Aurora]

Wow. Great job of keeping a handle on the situation and doing what needed to be done. And you did do a good thing. You reached out to a stranger in a time of need. Things like that aren't easily forgotten. My car wreck a few years ago ended up giving my husband and I a set of very good friends (the man who stopped first to help me and his wife), and ended up helping my husband get the great job he has now (through the help of the same guy).

 

[Harmon]

I was thinking about this thread today as my neighbor pulled into our circle talking on her cell while driving better then the 25 mph limit (she's the kind of person the speeds up to a stop sign). She was talking on her cel phone and only stopped when she got out.

Here in California a little drizzle can cause major issues with the road ways and people are constantly getting into their cars and dialing someone up. Cel phones are great, but they can cause some interesting problems.

 

[megamania]

First off- great job. The only thanks you will proberly get is from us but good job.

Two- In my limited First Responder background you did a really good job. You tried for help then comforted the person once being sure there was no immediate threat / danger.

Three- This is why NY has a law about cell phone use while driving. Vermont House has been talking about it themselves. Its a good law and rule of thumb / common sence.



Again- good job. Not everyone would have kept their head on or even stopped.