Got in a wreck...

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M

MOtrooper

Member
Joined
Jun 2, 2011
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29
Location
Fulton, MO
I still don't know many people here since I'm new. I don't have much wisdom to share concerning penturning, however in my line of work you gain an understanding how any situation can go bad quickly...

A few days ago I was on my way home after working a four hour tractor trailer rollover ("cluster") on the Interstate. It was about 12:30am and I was two miles from my house and crested a hill. There he was. A Toyota Camry was stopped sideways in my lane. The driver, an older gentleman, was lost, looking for a hotel, and tried to turn into a median crossover from the right hand lane. Apparently he got confused, so he stopped. I hit him at 70 mph in his driver side door. His side curtain airbags deployed, his seatbelt was buckled, but it didn't help. He was dead instantly. By the grace of God I escaped with a sore neck.

I'm not going to get on my "safe driving soapbox," I promise. I only posted this as a friendly reminder. I wish you all safe travels. I am still looking forward to "meeting" everyone at some point. You all are very kind and helpful!

What makes it worse, he was coming home from his brother's funeral in Nebraska. Oh, and the family already has an attorney.
 

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Good luck with everything. Does the state take care of things as far as defending you in court or is it on you?

Good luck again,

Steve (in Webster Groves/St. Louis)
 
navycop said:
Sorry to hear that. It is unfortunate. I hope your dashboard camera was on so you can show the lawyer exactly what happened.
Click to expand...

Unfortunately the camera didn't start after the front end collision like it was supposed to. The black box (vehicle recorder) crapped out too. We were able to track my vehicle speed from the GPS, and we have several witnesses, which is a relief. I figured right away the family would have $$$ in their eyes.
 
StephenM said:
Good luck with everything. Does the state take care of things as far as defending you in court or is it on you?

Good luck again,

Steve (in Webster Groves/St. Louis)
Click to expand...

The patrol's legal counsel is the attorney general's office, so they take care of it. Thankfully as an officer I am exempt from personal liability. The family doesn't have a chance, but I figure some attorney will make a bit of money telling them they do.
 
Yikes....70 mph on a unseen hill, that's going to be tough and expensive to beat. Nothing going to bring him back. Hope the Family can find some peace in time.

Glad your ok
 
We need tort reform - loser pays should be the norm and it would stop frivolous law suits that are fishing expeditions. This will end up wasting tax payer dollars, to no end - he is not coming back and it was his fault.

Glad your ok.
 
There is, what seems to me, to be a large number of LEO-involved accidents in Florida. But then, being a senior citizen, I am aware of how many semi-dead drivers there are on the road. And when you add the dopers and drunks and yakkers, driving anywhere is a roll of the dice! You have my sympathy for what you will have to go through. My sympathies also to the family of the deceased.
 
It is well you printed this incident. I have seen this happen more now than ever because we are moving to a tourist area in the mountains. People get lost and confused and make quick, unthoughtful moves on the highway. The driver has to have focus and thought. If you cannot make a safe left hand turn, then go on to the next safe turn even if it is to turn around. Oh heck, what am I saying, we all know this, right??
 
So sorry for what has happened to you and for the loss of life, reminds us we are only an blink of the eye from eternity..................................
 
Its a tragedy no doubt. I hope you are well. Its amazing that this doesn't happen more often. I see so many instances where rather than take an extra 30 seconds to turn around safely, they will cut off traffic, do a left turn or U turn form the right lane anyting but take a little extra time. Especially with the cell phone jammed to their ear. We have an entrance to a large subdivision nearby where they dont even stop. They just roll right through the stop sign without looking. There is one person killed about every 3 months. WHat do they blame... The road. Its a bad road....

Depending on your state attourneys attitude/ procedures in such matters they may offer them a small settlemnt equal to the amount it would cost them to have to go to court. Even if its an open and shut case.
 
Glad you are alright. Sorry for the family of the other driver. I really hope your attys do not just settle. Even though it will state that the settlement is not an admitance of guilt, it still leaves the public with the idea they can all do the same. Continue to be safe.
 
Wow!! Sorry to read this. I'm a bit surprised only one so far made a comment about your speed and the hill.

I know it sucks when lawyers are involved but, I hope as time goes by you look at what you could have done yourself that would prevented this tragic accident. 70 in your neck of the woods is rolling good and with hills and critters everywhere.
If your speed was legal I would have to ask myself if the surroundings made that speed appropriate only you and God and the lawyers can say

Here a bit less speed may have provided a whole different outcome for you both.

Sorry for you but more so for he that lost his life Confused our not. We Leos are to set examples:frown:
 
From the photos and the description of the incident, you are lucky to be alive yourself. I spent several years on our volunteer FD and filling in for the local ambulance service as driver and cme upon too many accidents. It is bad enough to experience this on a call but to have it happen on the way home, OUCH! 70 mph on a divided highway in MO is legal and reasonable. People making errors cause more problems for themselves and others. LEOs as well as all other first responders take their lives in their hands each and every time they respond to a call to help someone. Lets get out of their way. As for the problem of inattention, what is the answer? Who knows! To remove all distractions a driver has will stop everyone from driving. How many of us have never done something stupid while driving? If we are honest, we all have done something wrong most every time we got behind the wheel and drove anywhere. Let us all make the effort to be more careful as we drive. This whole incident could have been avoided with a small bit of common sense. Now there is a family grieving about their loss and a servant of the public facing legal problems.
Charles
Charles
 
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