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--Sorry about the length.--

I witnessed a car crash today that really made me take pause to ask myself lots of questions.

The Crash: (IT WAS NOT AN ACCIDENT!)

Sunday, just after noon, we left my son's house in Killeen and were headed back to our place. For those that know Killeen, we were traveling north on Willow Springs Rd. about .3 of a mile from Highway 190. This north/south road, is one lane in each direction, with a dedicated center turn lane. There is no posted speed limit, but I have always assumed that there is some statutory limit in the neighborhood streets and keep my speed below 30 MPH. A silver car was headed south and was entering the center turn lane to make a left hand turn. With about 3/4 of his car into the center lane a truck attempted to pass him on the left going at a VERY HIGH rate of speed. The truck struck the car just in front of the drivers door and sent the car back in to the right hand curb. The truck continued south in my lane--I immediately moved my foot to the brake and came to a stop--and veered in to a car wash parking lot it, went through the parking lot in to the back of a laundry mat. We were less than 15 feet from the path the truck. I put on the flashers and jumped out of my truck without bothering to get out of the lane. There was really no where to go as the road was littered with car parts including the left front wheel, struts, and the like. I saw the driver of the car getting out so I ran though the hole in the wall to discover the truck had crashed into a wall of gas clothes dryers. You could smell the natural gas and hear it escaping. I found the gas main--less that four feet from the hole in the wall--only to discover that the shut-off valve had a lock on it. At this point I realized my truck was sitting in the road only a sidewalk width away and my wife was still sitting in the passenger seat. I yelled over to her to move quickly and she jumped over the console and drove through the debris field and parked further down the road. The car behind me pulled into the laundry mat parking lot--this driver could also smell the gas and got out to try and direct the traffic and keep it from the scene. I am not going to go in to details about the injuries, however, it was only by the grace of God that it appears they all will be okay in time.

The Next Six Minutes:

The first police unit arrived on scene in about six minutes. During this time there were Good Samaritans doing what they could to help the driver in the truck and take care of those inside of the laundry mat. However, even with ~ten cars parked on the roadway not wanting to drive through, there were at least five cars that plowed though the crime scene with comments (and a single finger salutes) that cannot be repeated in this forum. They were more concerned about their delay than with those involved in the crash or those that stopped to assist.

I must confess that I felt absolutely helpless not being able to shut of the leaking natural gas from the dryers. Once others began to smell the gas they moved away. Me--being stupid I guess--continued to try and get the gas turned off. Another individual along with myself were now on a mission to find bolt cutters to remove the lock. Finding something to remove the lock became an impossible task. Thankfully, there was (now) a big hole in the back of the building that provided enough ventilation for the gas to escape.

Once the first police unit arrived they all seemed to come simultaneously. None of the police units had any way to get the gas shut off. The fire department arrived a minute or so later. The other individual that was trying to assist me was able to get a pair of bolt cutters from one of the firemen and we removed the lock and attempted to shut off the gas. This was harder than you think. One of the fire fighters was able to locate the proper tool needed to turn of the valve.

The next hour was spent trying to get rid of the adrenaline dump and making my statement to the police. (When asked for ID, I presented my CHL she smiled and said she did not need it. Yes, I was, as always, carrying.)

The Questions:

--The driver of the truck was certainly at fault. Talking to other witnesses, from the other direction, I discovered the driver had already passed one car via the turn lane and almost hit a car ~200' before. At what point does it become criminal and not just a traffic citation?

--If I had a weapon and was handling it carelessly, would I have criminal charges filed against me if I shot some one? I am sure there would be some sort of felony charge because it was a gun.

--Are people so callous that they cannot be thankful they were not in the crash but only concerned about their seconds of delay?

--Does anybody really have enough insurance to be covered for such a crash they were responsible for?

--Will there be an uproar to have trunks banned because they are big and cause more damage when crashed? Who need a heavy truck to go back and forth to work when a Smart Car will do?

--Since the driver of the car was a Soldier, will federal charges be levied because he was a federal employee? Will Congress pass a law that requires all pick-ups and heavy trucks to be 1,000' from members of the military?

--I saw this crash developing in front of me before the impact. What would have happened if I had not? Both my wife and I believe we would have been part of the crash.

--What should I take to get a good nights sleep?

Thanks for listening!!

Thank God you and your wife are OK.

What did the police do with the crazy guy in the truck?

i8godzilla wrote:--Sorry about the length.--

I witnessed a car crash today that really made me take pause to ask myself lots of questions.

The Crash: (IT WAS NOT AN ACCIDENT!)

Sunday, just after noon, we left my son's house in Killeen and were headed back to our place. For those that know Killeen, we were traveling north on Willow Springs Rd. about .3 of a mile from Highway 190. This north/south road, is one lane in each direction, with a dedicated center turn lane. There is no posted speed limit, but I have always assumed that there is some statutory limit in the neighborhood streets and keep my speed below 30 MPH. A silver car was headed south and was entering the center turn lane to make a left hand turn. With about 3/4 of his car into the center lane a truck attempted to pass him on the left going at a VERY HIGH rate of speed. The truck struck the car just in front of the drivers door and sent the car back in to the right hand curb. The truck continued south in my lane--I immediately moved my foot to the brake and came to a stop--and veered in to a car wash parking lot it, went through the parking lot in to the back of a laundry mat. We were less than 15 feet from the path the truck. I put on the flashers and jumped out of my truck without bothering to get out of the lane. There was really no where to go as the road was littered with car parts including the left front wheel, struts, and the like. I saw the driver of the car getting out so I ran though the hole in the wall to discover the truck had crashed into a wall of gas clothes dryers. You could smell the natural gas and hear it escaping. I found the gas main--less that four feet from the hole in the wall--only to discover that the shut-off valve had a lock on it. At this point I realized my truck was sitting in the road only a sidewalk width away and my wife was still sitting in the passenger seat. I yelled over to her to move quickly and she jumped over the console and drove through the debris field and parked further down the road. The car behind me pulled into the laundry mat parking lot--this driver could also smell the gas and got out to try and direct the traffic and keep it from the scene. I am not going to go in to details about the injuries, however, it was only by the grace of God that it appears they all will be okay in time.

The Next Six Minutes:

The first police unit arrived on scene in about six minutes. During this time there were Good Samaritans doing what they could to help the driver in the truck and take care of those inside of the laundry mat. However, even with ~ten cars parked on the roadway not wanting to drive through, there were at least five cars that plowed though the crime scene with comments (and a single finger salutes) that cannot be repeated in this forum. They were more concerned about their delay than with those involved in the crash or those that stopped to assist.

I must confess that I felt absolutely helpless not being able to shut of the leaking natural gas from the dryers. Once others began to smell the gas they moved away. Me--being stupid I guess--continued to try and get the gas turned off. Another individual along with myself were now on a mission to find bolt cutters to remove the lock. Finding something to remove the lock became an impossible task. Thankfully, there was (now) a big hole in the back of the building that provided enough ventilation for the gas to escape.

Once the first police unit arrived they all seemed to come simultaneously. None of the police units had any way to get the gas shut off. The fire department arrived a minute or so later. The other individual that was trying to assist me was able to get a pair of bolt cutters from one of the firemen and we removed the lock and attempted to shut off the gas. This was harder than you think. One of the fire fighters was able to locate the proper tool needed to turn of the valve.

The next hour was spent trying to get rid of the adrenaline dump and making my statement to the police. (When asked for ID, I presented my CHL she smiled and said she did not need it. Yes, I was, as always, carrying.)

The Questions:

--The driver of the truck was certainly at fault. Talking to other witnesses, from the other direction, I discovered the driver had already passed one car via the turn lane and almost hit a car ~200' before. At what point does it become criminal and not just a traffic citation?

--If I had a weapon and was handling it carelessly, would I have criminal charges filed against me if I shot some one? I am sure there would be some sort of felony charge because it was a gun.

--Are people so callous that they cannot be thankful they were not in the crash but only concerned about their seconds of delay?

--Does anybody really have enough insurance to be covered for such a crash they were responsible for?

--Will there be an uproar to have trunks banned because they are big and cause more damage when crashed? Who need a heavy truck to go back and forth to work when a Smart Car will do?

--Since the driver of the car was a Soldier, will federal charges be levied because he was a federal employee? Will Congress pass a law that requires all pick-ups and heavy trucks to be 1,000' from members of the military?

--I saw this crash developing in front of me before the impact. What would have happened if I had not? Both my wife and I believe we would have been part of the crash.

--What should I take to get a good nights sleep?

Thanks for listening!!

It sounds like your situational awareness and ability to make good decisions under pressure saved your family from a wreck and injuries.

Your efforts to assist those who weren't able to avoid involvement and to attempt to deal with a major hazard that could have made it much worse are highly commendable.

Existing laws are more than adequate to deal with responsibility and restitution for what occurred.

Once the stress chemical overload in your bloodstream dissipates, you won't have any trouble getting to sleep. In fact, most likely, you won't be able to stay up even if you want to.

You done good. Now about sleep, A double Bourbon helps me but a couple of beers are also good. Like Excaliber said sleep will come easily enough.

I'll add to the prescription for sleep a super hot super long shower to relax. (Helps with the cedar pollen and mold spores too)

Wow... Quite an experience.
Glad to hear everyone will be ok.. A cigarette, spark, or open flame (gas dryers have open flames ) could have ruined lots of people's day...

I'm betting you're passed out in bed from the adrenaline drain..

Some good karma added to your account today.

eureka40 wrote:Thank God you and your wife are OK.

What did the police do with the crazy guy in the truck?

Yes, God was looking over us!

The driver and HER child passenger were in the back of the FD's transport vehicle when I left. I was told that the child was fine. Do not know the status of the driver. News reports say both are fine.

Here is a news item I just saw: http://www.centraltexasnow.com/Global/s ... S=13892851" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

We never saw a news crew while we were there. Also, I'll take exception to this report--the truck was completely inside!


One a side note----
Saturday, my wife and I were driving on Highway 190 and encountered two very aggressive drivers, both female. We even commented that once upon a time aggressive driving was normally associated with young male drivers followed by male drivers as a whole.

Two days in a row we encounter female drivers being the aggressors? Maybe we will quit driving to Killeen and stay in our own 'back woods'.