Witnessed a road accident today....

[Lutin]

Since the weather was lovely this afternoon here in the West of Ireland, I thought I'd take the bike out for a bit of a bimble.

However, witnessing a road accident and helping to deal with the aftermath can really take the shine off anyone's day.

Weirdest accident too. It's about 3 o'clock, nice fine, bright, dry afternoon just entered a 30 mph limit, following a silver SUV, road ahead is dead straight for a least half a mile as it runs into the village of Moycullen. Just pass the petrol station on the right and up ahead, some way in front of the SUV, I see a Landrover Freelander flying through the air! This was coming out of the village towards me. No other vehicles involved, in fact no other vehicles anywhere near the flying Landrover.

From what I saw the Landrover slewed across the road, for no apparent reason, hits a low wall that is some way off to the side of the road, launches skywards, lands on it's bonnet and windscreen, spins around and finally lands on the drivers side.

Several people, including the driver of the silver SUV and myself, stop and leg it up to the Landrover to see what we can do. Inside are two young women and two small children, one being a baby. Thank God for child seats! The big problem is that we couldn't get the doors open! Finally one chap gets the tailgate open and helps to get the sunroof open. The baby is passed up out of the car through the passenger door window. It is some time before everyone is out of the vehicle - a good 15 minutes i would estimate. No blood spilt and the occupants are "walking wounded", though it's not long before shock kicks in and one of the women appears to collapse. However, there are plenty of bods to help including, thank goodness, a doctor.

Spent the next half an hour directing the traffic past the accident. Forgive me for swearing, but what the hell is it with drivers "rubbernecking"?? And one women was not going to slow down for anybody, even though there's an ambulance parked in the middle of the road! Fec'ks sake!!

It's about half an hour before the first ambulance arrives from Galway, probably because there's roadworks to negotiate. A short while later another ambulance and two Fire Rescue vehicles turn up as well. The Garda turn up a short while later.

Still trying to get my head around how the hell this all happened in a 30 mph zone. It's not everyday that you witness a flying Landrover, and it takes a while for your head to get around the fact.

Gave my details to the attending Gardai, watched the tow truck pull the Landrover back onto it's wheels and drag it onto the bed of the tow truck. By this time the Landrover is spewing oil everywhere, as the low wall has obviously ripped the sump off the engine and completely rearranged the drive shafts, transfer box etc etc.

Ride home, make a cup of tea and try and work out how it all happened.

Still wondering.

Sorry for the missive, just trying to get my head round it all.

[FatFergie]

That sounds strange. Glad no one was seriously injured. Oddly, I've come across maybe six serious "accidents" in the past few years, three of which were single vehicle rollovers with female drivers, none seriously injured. It's a scary thing to see a car on its roof and I wonder what could make a car do that? I suppose the answer is of course: its driver.

[alpslapper]

The posted limit was a 30. I doubt thats what the driver was doing.

[tramp]

yeh !!when will the governments fit as std recordable tachos like we have in lorries won`t cost much and save the trouble of finding out what really happened.

All it takes is everyone to swap there driving licence for a new one with chip and pin inserted to record details pf driving/rest periods.

Even stop people have 4 hrs sleep then driving and killing someone, oh the wife say to "stop being a victor" boy t gets me back right up.

Russ

[rgarrioch]

Well done Lutin. Exhausting when you get that adrenaline to deal with too, bet you're knackered tonight!

Something similar happened in Gairloch last year, just by the bank if you know it (or passed it on the way to the National). I wasn't involved, but a car managed to rip out 20m of fence on the LHS of the road, then slew across & mount / destroy 20m of stone wall on the RHS before alighting on its roof. 40mph limit, upper middle aged female driver. Mind boggled over that one.

[doglegdon]

Well done Lutin.

My thoughts exactly. Glad there weren't any serious injuries. As I'm safety officer for our club, I'm hoping never to put any of my 'first at scene' first aid, to the test but glad I've studied it.

[Lutin]

Thanks guys. I think that the adrenaline is starting to wear off, as i feel the gibbering wanting to start.

I'm still trying to work out what speed the driver had to be doing to be able not only to get a Landrover Freelander airborn, but to flip it over, back over front, so that it lands on it's bonnet / windscreen. It certainly is NOT 30 mph!

All I can see at the moment is a flying Freelander!

Wonder what I'll be dreaming about tonight??

[StumpyFingers]

At least you were able to get the occupants out relatively unharmed, It may have been a different scenario if they were seriously injured or worse dead.

[RodYork]

well done!- I hope everyone is ok. In todays society, people are often too busy to stop and help their fellow human beings- I hope he lady who did not have time to slow down for the ambulance etc never has cause for others help. Well done once again.

[Bluff]

Lutin it sounds as though it could be 'wind up' does a freelander have diff lock?If it's applied on Tarmac and the tyres are gripping well then the whole dive system just winds until something either breaks or the vehicle is forced to unwind. Often it just causes the wheels to slip and release energy but if there is good traction it can throw the whole vehicle. This isn't a problem off road as tyres slip all the time and release the energy.

There have been notable fatal cases, one of which was a woman who's car just spat out to the side of the road hitting a wall. She died I think.


Edited to add: Sorry you probably know that stuff, I am sure there are 4x4 experts on here who can explain it or discount that idea a whooooooole lo better than me