Drunk Drivers

[echoes]

Has this ever happened to you?

So here I am on my Sunday afternoon drive home from work, smelling the fresh air, listening to the birds, admiring the blue skies. ( I take a Riverside Drive for about ten miles each way, every day. ) But nooooo. Had to snap myself to attention when I notice the driver in front of me.

Our cars had just pulled away from the light, and the car in front of me is weaving side to side, in wide arcs. Then the brake lights start flashing every other second, for no reason. I go into alert, and start scanning where the other vehicles are. I pass over in to the other lane, and hang back...way back. Good thing too, b/c here comes another light, and I happened to hit the brakes just in time. Here comes the obviously druvk sedan stopping dead on in front of me, and weaving to the turn lane, o-so-slowly. The traffic behind hangs back, thank God!
I count myself lucky, I could have been mashed potatoes I guess. Some people! Why do they have to drink and kill?

Holly

[Weazle23]

Wow, glad you're safe!

[echoes]

Originally Posted by Weazle23

Wow, glad you're safe!

Welp thanks , but the world will continue to turn normally if I am not.

Honestly, Weazle, I was just thinking this woman, (did I forget to mention it was a woman driver?), could have killed someone important, like retired or acitve duty military.

If only I was a LEO...She could have been stopped.

Holly

[TF Kilo]

That situation I have seen before.

Instructed the wife to call 911, advise them of the location, what they're driving, and that we're staying on the line 200m back in our vehicle until we see a cop, giving position updates.

Every time we've had to do it, we've had a officer or trooper roll up side by side, take a look, and then give a thumbs up to us as they flip the lights on to end the danger.

It's so easy to not drink and drive. If I get tanked, H06 drives, then it's her turn next time...

Or, the local microbrew has takehome Grizzlys... 64 oz of exquisite taste in a takehome sippy top container.... it's more fun to drink at home anyway.

[echoes]

Originally Posted by TF Kilo

Instructed the wife to call 911, advise them of the location, what they're driving, and that we're staying on the line 200m back in our vehicle until we see a cop, giving position updates.

That sound like a great plan! I know some will not believe...but there is a TPD station on Riverside, and this event occured during the passing of it...I am just glad to be home.

Holly

[Pete]

Originally Posted by echoes

That sound like a great plan!

Driving is serious business. As stated above notify local law enforcement and keep your eyes open.

I was passed by a drunk once about 3:00 AM on I-95 by Fredericksburg, VA. I was about to use my cell phone when I was pased by one of those Emergency Rescue Box Trucks. The car crashed into a guard rail and before it stopped bouncing the Rescue Truck stopped and hit it's lights. Lucky night for the driver.

Pete

[echoes]

Originally Posted by Pete

Driving is serious business. As stated above notify local law enforcement and keep your eyes open.

I was passed by a drunk once about 3:00 AM on I-95 by Fredericksburg, VA. I was about to use my cell phone when I was pased by one of those Emergency Rescue Box Trucks. The car crashed into a guard rail and before it stopped bouncing the Rescue Truck stopped and hit it's lights. Lucky night for the driver.

Pete

Sir, And lucky for You. Glad Youa re safe. I don't understand why folks drink and drive?

Holly

[82ndtrooper]

6 years ago, it will be seven on September 29th, I was struck head on by a drunk driver that had come into the east bound lanes of I-275 here in Northern Kentucky.

I was hospitlized for 3 months of which two were in the SICU at University of Cincinnati Hospital. Both lungs collapsed, all ribs broken on the left side, left humorus broken in 3 places and now I have the express honor of being able to say that I have in fact been thrown threw a windshield at nearly 65 MPH on a four lane highway. Head trauma was severe enough that I was relieved of pressure by way of surgical trauma care once the Para Helo landed at University Hospital. I dont remember a thing, other than the moment that I realized that this guy was actually coming towards me around a blind bend in the freeway. Aircare is nice thing, but I dont even have any recollection of that particular helo ride. Respirator, feeding tubes, chest tubes, penis catheter are not something I would wish on anybody. The Docs here wont believe this, but I spent 41 DAYS on the respirator/intubated. I remember them removing it after the docs contemplated traiching me or seeing if I could "Fly" on my own lungs. The only thing I wanted once they removed that tube from my throat was WATER !!! and lots of it.

The legal aspects of the case were difficult to say the least. I was 0.00 BAC at the time of the crash and he was cited for a third offense of Aggravated DUI, and aggravated assault. My father said the police came every day to see If I was actually going to survive. If I hadn't he would have been charged with Vehicular homicide or manslaughter. He had no insurance and a BAC of .275 He was found guilty of the charges and spent the next 3 years in prison. I recieved a letter from him while he was serving his sentence. He has now been sober for over 6.5 years and was asking for my forgiveness. Part of the 12 steps of AA. An attorney sifted throught the process of a civil suit for damanges and pain and suffering but his man had no financial assets, did not own a home, no car insurance, nothing. Needless to say that was a dead end road for my attorney.

I also spent 2 months in patient at a rehabilitation facility. I am just about 100% but not without a long time to engage in physical therapy and practical therapy. I couldn't even balance a check book in therapy due to short term memory loss. I had lost wages of an entire year with little in the way of insurance support. I did recieve $20,000 bodily injury from my car insurance provider.

For me, it's opened my eyes to many things. I now enjoy scuba diving and skydiving. I enjoy almost anything where i can be of help to others.

Drunk driving is serious. I wont pretend to even say that in my hayday I did not drink and drive because that would a bold face lie. I dont drink that often and when I do I have a driver, or I stay at home.

[The Reaper]

We need to bring back debtor's prison for people who choose to conduct themselves that, or at least allow some sort of payback program.

TR

[incommin]

Debto's prison???? We would go broke housing and feeding them.... there are thousands of them out there!


Jim

[echoes]

Originally Posted by The Reaper

We need to bring back debtor's prison for people who choose to conduct themselves that, or at least allow some sort of payback program.

TR

Agreed Sir...Prison...and All It's Worth.

[82ndtrooper]

Originally Posted by The Reaper

We need to bring back debtor's prison for people who choose to conduct themselves that, or at least allow some sort of payback program.

TR

I honestly dont think any money in my case would have given me what I lost. The losses are more than just lost wages and human suffering. Yes, it cost me dearly since I was in commission business. In fact my clients were serviced by another broker while I was out of action for most the next year. Once I was fully ready to engage my client book again they had been with this broker for nearly a year. Most sympathized with me but they stayed with the broker that serviced my book. It took me another 3 years to retain and recruit enough new clients to call it real money again. I cant really put a price tag on having to scracth and claw to build another book of clients. I suppose a million dollars would have sufficed, but the effects of suffering, just as those from this war, are immeasurable in terms of real suffering.

In fact I also suffered from pain medication dependency as a result of the post hospital pain management plan and still have migrains that require abortive treatment at the VA ER. I'd just love to have a month go by without requiring a trip to the ER to get an IV and Demerol pushed into my system for relief.

I've forgiven him. He's now sober and if he carry's that message just one more drunk then he's doing what God intends him to do.

[Smokin Joe]

Originally Posted by echoes

Our cars had just pulled away from the light, and the car in front of me is weaving side to side, in wide arcs. Then the brake lights start flashing every other second, for no reason. I go into alert, and start scanning where the other vehicles are. I pass over in to the other lane, and hang back...way back. Good thing too, b/c here comes another light, and I happened to hit the brakes just in time. Here comes the obviously druvk sedan stopping dead on in front of me, and weaving to the turn lane, o-so-slowly. The traffic behind hangs back, thank God!

I arrested a woman for DUI drugs yesterday late afternoon who was driving just like that. The worst part was that she 1. Works in the medical field (and these were not Rx drugs) 2. Had been driving for over 2 hours before stopped.

Holly,

Call every time you see someone driving like that. Sometimes its an idiot on his/her cell phone and other times its the idiot who has 3 prior DUI convictions and habitually drinks and drives. Either way if Law Enforcement can catch them and make the stop it helps the idiot driver pull their head out of there ass and other times we get to make solid arrests that saves lives.

[TF Kilo]

that's why i do it...

best case it's a box of rocks that gets their mannage hit with a baton, worst case they're actually drunk as a skunk and now they're a passenger vs a driver...

granted in a prisoner compartment, but hey, decisions decisions, right?

[echoes]

Joe,

Wilco,

and thanks to all for the great ideas and stories.

Holly