I watched most of the Jets vs Anaheim game, but needed to go for a walk. Besides, I wanted ice cream 🙂 I took a stroll in the warm evening air. I walked over to the Chase Bank near Cave Creek & the 101 Loop, took out some cash, but then decided that I didn’t need ice cream, so I walked back down to Union Hills Road and took up my “regular” route (at least it was regular until my whole system broke down 2 wks ago when I started working silly hours then flew to France!).
I was listening to the game through my phone, tuned through the Internet to TSN 1290 Winnipeg. Curse that goal with 20 seconds left, grrrr! Just as it was scored, I came up on 30th St and Union Hills, where there were two cars stopped, looked like maybe a collision – but it wasn’t. One of the cars had been going westbound (coming toward me) on Union Hills, and had stopped along the curb just short of 30th St. The other had come from the east, cut it off, and was parked at an angle in front of it. Both front doors were open on the one along the curb. A young man was standing in the open driver’s door, a young lady in the open passenger door. The young lady was crying, sobbing, obviously upset, and talking into a cell phone; the young man was demanding that she give the phone to him.
A domestic dispute, perhaps? Hmm. I asked if everything was OK, she sobbed, “NO!” It was then that I saw someone slumped in the driver’s seat. Oh, no.
I asked if she had 911 on the phone – yes. She handed the phone to the young man, just as a van pulled up, and an older man & two younger kids got out.
The young man managed the situation, was told to remove the lady from the car and put her on the pavement. The older man & he took her out and laid her down. I didn’t get involved (something which I feel somewhat guilty for now), but asked the kids to move the van behind the car so as to protect the rear. They were not of legal driving age. The young lady was in no shape to drive anything, anywhere, so I went back and flagged all the traffic over to the next lane.
Meanwhile, the young man started chest compressions. The young lady was beside herself, “Where is the ambulance? That’s my mom! I can’t lose her! I’m going to lose her!”
About two minutes later, a fire truck emerged from the corner at 32nd & Union Hills. I shouted “four blocks!” and directed the truck in, then stepped back.
The firemen (yes they were all men) were slow & methodical, and I was wishing they would hurry up 🙁 But they got in there, relieved the young man from the compressions, and got the lady hooked up. The older man was pacing, standing behind the car, clasping his hands, obviously praying. The young man scooped up the young lady, took her to the van, where the other two kids were, and did his best to calm them down.
I asked the older man, if he was family (this was all very confusing to me). Yes, that was his wife on the ground. The young lady was their daughter, whom she was driving home when this apparently happened. The young man was her boyfriend.
The ambulance arrived about two minutes later. They got a strong pulse and regular breathing back! The boyfriend was busy telling the daughter all this, that things were going to be all right, to be strong. She was not doing well.
I recognized that there were three vehicles there and three drivers. I mentioned to the husband that he should go in the ambulance, that the kids should deal with the cars, pick up one later. He said no, he would follow. I insisted that he go in the ambulance – “You have to, the cars are not worth it, let the kids deal with them.” Suddenly, he realized and said thanks. He went in the ambulance.
The daughter went to park the car along 30th street. Again she was not doing well, so I directed her to a space under a streetlight, advised her to turn around to face the right direction (who knows if they tow for such things here, but it’s not a time to find out), to turn off her four way flashers, and to lock up the car.
The fire leader asked the daughter questions about the incident, like did the mother complain of any symptoms, did she say anything… etc. No, nothing. Then he turned to me and asked who I was. I said “oh no, I’m just a passer-by, I have no knowledge of anything.” And then everyone was on their way.
I continued my walk, shaken. The hockey game seemed not-so-important now. I stopped at the Circle K at the corner of 32nd and Union Hills for my ice cream, but they don’t have any. I settled for some M&Ms 🙂
Life is short and can be taken from us at any time. Enjoy it while it lasts.
And, to quote Percy Mayfield, Nothin’ Stays the Same Forever:
If you are a… thinking person… take the time… to pray!