The People You Meet Will Stay With You

So the city is virtually shut down today due to an impending winter storm. So far all we've seen is freezing rain/sleet and tons of rain. As I sit here bored, I thought I'd share my story from work yesterday.


Yesterday I was en route to a high priority call (an audible alarm at a maintenance shed at an apartment complex). At one of the intersections I had to pass through en route to a call, I saw two vehicle involved in an accident in the middle of the intersection just outside talking. I got on my loudspeaker and asked if there were any injuries and if the cars were drivable. After hearing there were no injuries and both cars could be driven I had them pull off the road and told them to park in a nearby parking lot at the shopping mall on my beat. I cleared my alarm call and headed back to meet them.


Essentially what had happened was, was that both vehicle were making a left at the intersection. Vehicles coming from the opposite direction turning right have a yield sign. A car failed to yield forcing the front car to brake. The second car was following too closely and hit the back of the car. The driver of the front car turns 90 this year. I gathered the basic information for my accident report (driver's license, insurance card, tag number, and telephone number). The 90 year old man was visibly shaken and I worked to calm his down. He did not have a telephone number and only a landline but could not remember his number for the life of him or find his insurance card.


I asked the male if he had anyone he could call to ask for his number or find his insurance information. The man told me there was nobody left and his wife had recently passed and he lived alone. The tone in his voice really got to me. I can only imagine how he felt losing his best friend and the woman whom I'm sure he was married to for quite some time and now this accident happens and he's shaken up with no one to help him.


Eventually we were able to get the answers we needed. I found his insurance card among a bunch of papers in his glovebox and worked with him to remember his number.


That entire encounter did not last that long but the emotion of that man stuck with me. Out here on this job you meet a variety of people and no matter how long or short you spend with them you take a bit of them with you. It's truly an incredible job.