Nasty Car accident today.

[Terry B]

I was in my bottom paddock today attempting to unbog my old tractor with my wifes help (as driver). The tractor was about 100m from the road and I was standing next to it. I heard a loud bang and looked up to see 2 cars colliding head on with one of them in the air.
I raced back to my car and we drove to the smash. The cars were on the side of the road with one of then sitting on top of the other one nose down at about 60deg.
There was a guy crawling along the road from 1 car and a few guys milling around him. My wife and I (she is a GP and I'm a GP anaesthetist) checked out the cars to find a almost dead guy under the side of the top car. He was just breathing and had a pulse. He had obvious extra bends in both legs.
The car was smoking and I noticed flames under the dash through the broken windscreen.
We decided that he had to be moved so I tried to stabilise his neck and we dragged him a few metres away.
The car then decided to properly catch fire so we needed to move him further. With the help of a few guys that had turned up we picked him up (whilst I tried to hold his neck still) and moved him about 50m upwind of the now burning cars.
I had a resus mask in the car and was using this to maintain his airway. About 20 mins later the ambos arrived and we were able to give him O2 and put a collar on him. He remained deeply unconscious throughout this time but did start to rouse a bit. I put an IV in him and the ambos took him away.
The police finally arrived and closed the road. The fire brigade took much longer and the cars were starting to die down by the time they got there.
The 2 guys from the other car were on their way to a model glider flying event and had gas cannisters in the car. These all exploded at various times making the fire much more worrying. The grass in my front paddock started to burn but since it is basically swamp at the moment didn't spread too far.
Sadly I checked with A & E when I came home and found that the injured guy we had helped had arrested 3 times and died with the last arrest.
We did our best but high speed accidents and ?no seat belt take there toll.

[TrevorW]

Sad Terry but you and yours obviously did your best, well done to both of you

[astroron (Ron)]

How stressful Terry ,but well done for your efforts
Cheers

[h0ughy (David)]

Terry,

at least you were there and could lend some help - he could have been dead still in the car but you and others got him out. Well done - dispite the finite ending.

[shelltree (Shelley)]

A very stressful situation for you Terry but you and your wife did a tremendous job under a lot of pressure. Well done.

[ballaratdragons (Ken)]

Thank you Terry, your wife, and others that helped to try save the mans life.
At least you did what you could.

[danielsun]

That is a very tragic and a sad outcome Terry but You did your very best and I think you, your wife and all that helped are truly fine people to do what you did and make on the spot decisions in such a pressure situation.
My thoughts are with you.

[jjjnettie (Jeanette)]

Terry, you and your wife, did your very best. How fortunate they were that you were both on hand.
I'm so sorry he didn't make it.
It's a traumatic experience for all involved.
Many positive thoughts heading your way.

[AstralTraveller (David)]

I'd just like to echo the thoughts expressed above. You did your best and gave him hope he otherwise would not have had. You can be proud.

[DavidTrap (David)]

As an anaesthetist who works in a tertiary hospital, I can only imagine how frightening it must have been to be faced with such a situation. There is only so much you can do without all of the equipment you would normally have at your disposal in the operating theatre. From what you describe, you've made a valiant effort - I only hope I can do similar if faced with such a predicament.

Some days you just can't put humpty back together again...

DT

[DavidTrap (David)]

My other hobby is flying model gliders. I found a thread on another website about this accident.

It appears the deceased may have been on the wrong side of the road. There was meant to have been a third chap in the other vehicle, but he stayed back at the caravan park to work on his glider. The two guys don't appear to have significant injuries.

DT

[Kal (Andrew)]

Not a very nice experience and certainly one I pray I never have to see in my life.

[Jen]

sorry to hear that Terry you done as much as you could well done for that buddy. If i seen something like that happen in front of me i would have been a panicking mess

[Ric]

Not the best thing to see or be involved in Terry.

You and your wife definitely gave the poor fellow every chance and more. You both should be commended for your efforts.

[Terry B]

Thanks all
We are OK. I have dealt with similar situations from the hospital side many times but it is certainly more intimate when you are on the scene.
The 2 guys in the other car are OK. They were on their way to flying model gliders. They lost all their gliders as the cars burnt.
On a lighter note the accident occurred just outside my opposite neighbours gate which is a winery. They had a party group arriving all dressed up. They were all waiting patiently as they could not get in due to the burning cars.
After it had settled down the winery owner went and got his ute and drove it into the paddock further up the road. The guests then climbed accoss the barbed wire fence in all their finery, hopped in the back of the ute and were driven accross the paddock to the buildings.
A very novel way to arrive at a coctail party.

[Barrykgerdes]

The accident report is in ninemsn news. But the iceinspace report is much more informative. Terryb's prompt actions probably saved lives.

Barry

[wavelandscott (Scott)]

You and your wife are real hero's in my book!