I'm taken aback first. Because I really couldn't decide between the screaming children in a car engulfed in flames or the multiple motorcycle accidents I've seen.
If you are biker, it's not you honestly. It's the other stupid people who can't freaking see a motorcycle.
I have lived on a major highway in a very corridor off of I-95, and in a resort town. It seemed like every weekend people took a vacation from their driving skills.
I have been on many accident scenes with my father, who always stops to help. I also dated a handful of firefighters/EMTs before I became one.
As I seriously told the students about how I watched a family burn to deaf off of route 5, their faces twisted in to a half mangled smirks. I was seven at the time. My father yelled, "Holy shit! Did you see that. Of course, my brother and I were jumping toward the window to see what mad my father yell. Next thing I knew my father had jumped out of the truck and was running towards a car wrapped around a telephone pole. The driver was alive and screaming so loud, my children in the back were crying. My female was in the middle of the road not moving. The white smoke quickly turned to black. Flames licked the hood of the car. The driver was yelling get my kids. My kids. My father broke the back window out. Another passerby was able to grab one of the kids. Then I heard a noise that still wakes me from the deepest of sleeps.
The flames had reached the driver. They slowly licked his chest and face. He's screams were primal. The flame crept across the roof of the vehicle and the bystanders could not see well enough to get the children in their car seats.
They started to burn. My core was cold. I began to tear up. I wanted so badly for the fire company to get there.
My mother turned up the radio in a failed attempt to drown out their screams. She held my brother so tightly. He was a tender age of four and the screams terrified him.
The fire department arrived, and while they were hitting the hydrant, volunteers came with fire extinguisher. They were able to beat back the flames away from the children, but the damage was done.
I only remember one child crying when it was all over. We were on our way to the beach. We turned around and went home. My brother and I went on a bike ride while my father wept.
I remember looking out on the water, and asking why did I have to witness that? I still have not gotten that answer. There has been many calls and horrid scenes since that day. Before and after I chose this walk of life.
But I did get a hint from one of the students...
Her response was "Wow. You have seen a lot. I couldn't have seen that, and still wanted to follow in that line of work."
Maybe my destiny had been planned out for me. It seemed like every distraction I have tried from emergency medicine brings me back to helping others.
-stay safe.
Location:Why?
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