greybeard
Well-known member
Guess I just want to get this in words somewhere.....
I was all ready to drive up to Tyler late tonight, to have breakfast with the Fiero show Ruckus crew, but just decided at the last minute not to go. Dunno why I changed my mind, been looking forward to it for months. Maybe next year. Went out to the shop to lock up, and that's when I heard the noise out on the highway--thought it was just a 18 wheeler or logging truck going over the River bridge--it's a bumpy approach and exit off the bridge. A little while later, maybe 15 minutes, I saw the reflection of the emergency lights against the tall pines, so I got in the truck and drove up to the nearest highway, which is an S curve--20mph signs on yellow diamonds. One ambulance already there, one deputy.
I didn't see the involved vehicle, so I parked on the side of dirt road I was on,, and walked down the blacktop toward the lights to see if I could help--to see if it was a neighbor or friend. Encountered first, what looked like the hood of an suv of some kind, then a wheel and tire, with half the rear axle housing still attached, lots of can goods, a bag of charcoal--cans looked like tuna or chicken and soup. Then saw the 3 prostate bodies lying there in the ditch with more being pulled from "something" a little further up the ditch, kinda out in the pines. EMTs are working on them as they are brought out. More ambulances arrived, a fire truck--state troopers and more deputies. A one vehicle accident, travelling toward[ the direction I had just walked from. The meaning of that didn't hit me at first. All teenagers--young looking. Boys and girls--looked about 16 yrs old, hispanic I think. I saw no adults--saw no alcohol containers strewn in the mess. Heard someone say "Lifeflight 14 minutes out--where?" Someone else: "Up at the intersection--Valero parking lot, we'll clear it" and off they went.
"There's another one!", I looked up, and a kid is standing there, bloody, dazed--holding something hairy in a sweater. Thought--That's #6 and 7--"God don't let that be a baby". It wasn't--a small dog in a pet sweater--leaking some ugly looking fluid out both ends, especially from it's nose. The boy wouldn't sit down--"I'm fine, I have her dog" He's in shock. He sits finally, beside the stretcher holding a young girl--she looks "swollen" in her face compared to the rest of her body. Right arm either missing or twisted around behind her back. "I don't want to know".
EMTs are doing their thing and a female trooper asks if I can help her a minute. We walk back down to the vehicle hood I hd passed, and under her light, I realize it isn't just the hood, but the roof, front fender, part of the rerar qtr and rear bumper . May have been the front bumper, I just couldn't tell. Officer asked me to lift up a piece of sheet metal so she could write down the lic plate #. I did, then walked further back down the other way and looked at the vehicle itself. Upside down, no roof, hood or rear end. Twisted, muddy, impaled on a pine tree, and I glanced down the road at it's path, and it hit me, that the metal and wheel, as well as all the canned goods I first encountered on my walk down had been thrown 100' from the point of impact. The occupants never saw the curve-never turned the wheel to make the curve--left the blacktop just as the S curve began. It had been raining a little earler, but only lightly. "What the blazes happened here?--adeer run out--a hog--fell asleep--what?"
Walked back over to see if the EMTs needed help lifting, and found the young boy with the dog still there beside the stretcher--EMTs trying to get him to set the dog on the ground so they can treat him for shock and ?--he's bloody as the dickens. He keeps looking down at the girl.
I hear someone say "Young fellow, why don't you let me take care of the puppy for you--I got dogs of my own he's probably going to need a vet and I live just 1/4 mile from here, if not for the trees, you could see my house right thru there. I'll make sure he gets the best care there is,..... I promise".
I sighed deeply, and couldn't believe those words had come from my own mouth. He handed me the miserable looking ball of fur, said "We aren't from around here, how will I find you?"
Again words just came out "You won't have to, I'll find you, but the officers will have my name and address".
I take the puppy, backtrack to the truck, open the back door and find a chambray shirt, wrap it up and lay it in my lap as I one arm back down the dirt road and go to the house, layin on the horn as I turn in the dirve. Jane comes out. "In the bedroom, a pasteboard box--dump it and bring it here" as I get out of the truck. She meets me on the porch with the box, I look at the dog for the first time in good light and realize it is some kind of Yorkie type. Take it in the kitchen, cut the sweater off of it, cut the collar off and look at the tag. Rabies tag, with a heart and a girl name inside the heart "Sheila.
Well Sheila, let's see about you. Breathing, shallow. Almost a rasp. Head moves, back end moves, tail no wag. Front legs are limp--like they're broken-they don't move. Feel it's abdomen, and ribs, count the ribs--no breaks. Nothing pink or prple hanging out anywhere--that's good. There's a Ph # on the rabies tag. I call it-hesitantly--'don't let this be the family". It's a recording for a veterinary clinic in Missouri City Texas--about 65 miles from here, on the other side of Houston. No after hours #. I start to clean Sheila up some, took it's pic, gave it a 1 cc shot of LA-200 antibiotics I have for the calves. Was going to wait it out till morning, but remembered my promise, decided against it and told Jane to "find me an after hours vet." Found 2, one in Conroe--one in Humble. Conroe's closer, but Humble is quicker- all 4 lane. Jane calls them back, tells them we're on our way. I throw on a clean shirt, go out to clean out the back seat for the box, and see Lifelflight swing accross the end of the pasture on final. "That's a long 14 minutes" I think, then realize it probaly wasn't the first one. We take off, and get to the blacktop and find the traffic is halted so Lifeflights can get in and out up the hill from there. Female trooper walks over, asks how the puppy is and I tell her "Not so good-I's good with cows--not so much with dogs and I need to get it to the vet in Humble." She motions me thru.
We get to the top of the hill just as the helo has lifted. 2 Ambulances are still there, doors open, empty now. Tried not to think of the faces I had just seen earlier. Wrecker passes us on it's way down the hill.
We get to the vets faster than I really should have been driving. It's 11:30pm, and there are 4 people in a line at the window inside. I get the box with Sheila, and follow Jane in. She cuts to the front of th line--"We're here with the dog from the wreck". Girl #1 in line starts to say something, looks down in the box and backs away. I hand them the collar and tag I cut off and they take the pup right back, while I get a clipboard with the usual paperwork.
I walk out to the truck, drop the tailgate, and have my first cig since i walked up on the wreck.
Paperwork.
My name, address, ph #s,email. Patient's name, age, gender, owner, allergies. ???????????
Bottom above signature line says "$150 initial ER exam".
"responsible party:"
Sigh........I promised.
After about 30 minutes, the doc calls us in. I fear the worst. Not "too bad". "Nothing broken with just a physical exam but Xrays will tell more. The puppy has suffered neurological trauma to it's head tho--front legs aren't working-no reflex to physicl stimuli. She asks if I know if it hit something in the wreck. I remember the canned goods and car parts slung so far from the impact point. Yeah, probably hit several 'somethings"--hard.
She tells me they will get her cleaned up, give it some pain meds and take some Xrays and will keep her and attempt to find the owner. Also said there was another name on the backside of the tag and same name on the collar--the dog's name is really Isabelle. Who then, is Sheila?
I think of the girl on the stretcher with the arm.......
Doc called about 2am. Dog is resting and they'll know more tomorrow. They were able to notify the family of the dog's owner, but family was understandably so distraught at everything that had happened, the Doc just told them as little as necessary. Doc had tracked them down with help from Hiway Patrol which also said all occupants are in critial condition--some here at the local hospital--some in Houston at the trauma center downtown. I'll check on dog and people tomorrow (well, later today now)
Isabelle:
I was all ready to drive up to Tyler late tonight, to have breakfast with the Fiero show Ruckus crew, but just decided at the last minute not to go. Dunno why I changed my mind, been looking forward to it for months. Maybe next year. Went out to the shop to lock up, and that's when I heard the noise out on the highway--thought it was just a 18 wheeler or logging truck going over the River bridge--it's a bumpy approach and exit off the bridge. A little while later, maybe 15 minutes, I saw the reflection of the emergency lights against the tall pines, so I got in the truck and drove up to the nearest highway, which is an S curve--20mph signs on yellow diamonds. One ambulance already there, one deputy.
I didn't see the involved vehicle, so I parked on the side of dirt road I was on,, and walked down the blacktop toward the lights to see if I could help--to see if it was a neighbor or friend. Encountered first, what looked like the hood of an suv of some kind, then a wheel and tire, with half the rear axle housing still attached, lots of can goods, a bag of charcoal--cans looked like tuna or chicken and soup. Then saw the 3 prostate bodies lying there in the ditch with more being pulled from "something" a little further up the ditch, kinda out in the pines. EMTs are working on them as they are brought out. More ambulances arrived, a fire truck--state troopers and more deputies. A one vehicle accident, travelling toward[ the direction I had just walked from. The meaning of that didn't hit me at first. All teenagers--young looking. Boys and girls--looked about 16 yrs old, hispanic I think. I saw no adults--saw no alcohol containers strewn in the mess. Heard someone say "Lifeflight 14 minutes out--where?" Someone else: "Up at the intersection--Valero parking lot, we'll clear it" and off they went.
"There's another one!", I looked up, and a kid is standing there, bloody, dazed--holding something hairy in a sweater. Thought--That's #6 and 7--"God don't let that be a baby". It wasn't--a small dog in a pet sweater--leaking some ugly looking fluid out both ends, especially from it's nose. The boy wouldn't sit down--"I'm fine, I have her dog" He's in shock. He sits finally, beside the stretcher holding a young girl--she looks "swollen" in her face compared to the rest of her body. Right arm either missing or twisted around behind her back. "I don't want to know".
EMTs are doing their thing and a female trooper asks if I can help her a minute. We walk back down to the vehicle hood I hd passed, and under her light, I realize it isn't just the hood, but the roof, front fender, part of the rerar qtr and rear bumper . May have been the front bumper, I just couldn't tell. Officer asked me to lift up a piece of sheet metal so she could write down the lic plate #. I did, then walked further back down the other way and looked at the vehicle itself. Upside down, no roof, hood or rear end. Twisted, muddy, impaled on a pine tree, and I glanced down the road at it's path, and it hit me, that the metal and wheel, as well as all the canned goods I first encountered on my walk down had been thrown 100' from the point of impact. The occupants never saw the curve-never turned the wheel to make the curve--left the blacktop just as the S curve began. It had been raining a little earler, but only lightly. "What the blazes happened here?--adeer run out--a hog--fell asleep--what?"
Walked back over to see if the EMTs needed help lifting, and found the young boy with the dog still there beside the stretcher--EMTs trying to get him to set the dog on the ground so they can treat him for shock and ?--he's bloody as the dickens. He keeps looking down at the girl.
I hear someone say "Young fellow, why don't you let me take care of the puppy for you--I got dogs of my own he's probably going to need a vet and I live just 1/4 mile from here, if not for the trees, you could see my house right thru there. I'll make sure he gets the best care there is,..... I promise".
I sighed deeply, and couldn't believe those words had come from my own mouth. He handed me the miserable looking ball of fur, said "We aren't from around here, how will I find you?"
Again words just came out "You won't have to, I'll find you, but the officers will have my name and address".
I take the puppy, backtrack to the truck, open the back door and find a chambray shirt, wrap it up and lay it in my lap as I one arm back down the dirt road and go to the house, layin on the horn as I turn in the dirve. Jane comes out. "In the bedroom, a pasteboard box--dump it and bring it here" as I get out of the truck. She meets me on the porch with the box, I look at the dog for the first time in good light and realize it is some kind of Yorkie type. Take it in the kitchen, cut the sweater off of it, cut the collar off and look at the tag. Rabies tag, with a heart and a girl name inside the heart "Sheila.
Well Sheila, let's see about you. Breathing, shallow. Almost a rasp. Head moves, back end moves, tail no wag. Front legs are limp--like they're broken-they don't move. Feel it's abdomen, and ribs, count the ribs--no breaks. Nothing pink or prple hanging out anywhere--that's good. There's a Ph # on the rabies tag. I call it-hesitantly--'don't let this be the family". It's a recording for a veterinary clinic in Missouri City Texas--about 65 miles from here, on the other side of Houston. No after hours #. I start to clean Sheila up some, took it's pic, gave it a 1 cc shot of LA-200 antibiotics I have for the calves. Was going to wait it out till morning, but remembered my promise, decided against it and told Jane to "find me an after hours vet." Found 2, one in Conroe--one in Humble. Conroe's closer, but Humble is quicker- all 4 lane. Jane calls them back, tells them we're on our way. I throw on a clean shirt, go out to clean out the back seat for the box, and see Lifelflight swing accross the end of the pasture on final. "That's a long 14 minutes" I think, then realize it probaly wasn't the first one. We take off, and get to the blacktop and find the traffic is halted so Lifeflights can get in and out up the hill from there. Female trooper walks over, asks how the puppy is and I tell her "Not so good-I's good with cows--not so much with dogs and I need to get it to the vet in Humble." She motions me thru.
We get to the top of the hill just as the helo has lifted. 2 Ambulances are still there, doors open, empty now. Tried not to think of the faces I had just seen earlier. Wrecker passes us on it's way down the hill.
We get to the vets faster than I really should have been driving. It's 11:30pm, and there are 4 people in a line at the window inside. I get the box with Sheila, and follow Jane in. She cuts to the front of th line--"We're here with the dog from the wreck". Girl #1 in line starts to say something, looks down in the box and backs away. I hand them the collar and tag I cut off and they take the pup right back, while I get a clipboard with the usual paperwork.
I walk out to the truck, drop the tailgate, and have my first cig since i walked up on the wreck.
Paperwork.
My name, address, ph #s,email. Patient's name, age, gender, owner, allergies. ???????????
Bottom above signature line says "$150 initial ER exam".
"responsible party:"
Sigh........I promised.
After about 30 minutes, the doc calls us in. I fear the worst. Not "too bad". "Nothing broken with just a physical exam but Xrays will tell more. The puppy has suffered neurological trauma to it's head tho--front legs aren't working-no reflex to physicl stimuli. She asks if I know if it hit something in the wreck. I remember the canned goods and car parts slung so far from the impact point. Yeah, probably hit several 'somethings"--hard.
She tells me they will get her cleaned up, give it some pain meds and take some Xrays and will keep her and attempt to find the owner. Also said there was another name on the backside of the tag and same name on the collar--the dog's name is really Isabelle. Who then, is Sheila?
I think of the girl on the stretcher with the arm.......
Doc called about 2am. Dog is resting and they'll know more tomorrow. They were able to notify the family of the dog's owner, but family was understandably so distraught at everything that had happened, the Doc just told them as little as necessary. Doc had tracked them down with help from Hiway Patrol which also said all occupants are in critial condition--some here at the local hospital--some in Houston at the trauma center downtown. I'll check on dog and people tomorrow (well, later today now)
Isabelle:
