By Matt Vogt
When I was asked to
participate in this blog, I knew immediately which experience I would talk
about. What I did not know was that the next day I would have a second incident
in which to share. And that they would occur 12 years and one month to the day of
each other. Two, single-vehicle fatality accident cases that could have been
prevented had two people made a different choice. And these two cases also
share the fact that people both lived and died in these crashes.
In July 2000, I helped
investigate a crash on 69th Street between Seneca and Interurban.
Five lives specifically were affected this day:
a 14-year-old occupant who had been ejected from the vehicle due to not
wearing a seat belt was killed; another occupant that was unconscious and would
be in a coma for several weeks due to a severe head injury; and another female
occupant who was partially pinned in the vehicle. Two other occupants walked away from the
crash with only minor injuries.
Deeply
affected
In addition to these
people, the lives of their families and friends were deeply affected as well
because someone lost their life. The choices here are that people did not wear
their seatbelts and a vehicle traveling at a speed that was not prudent for the
road conditions. Of course at that time, the seat belt laws were not what they
are today, but it had been shown how effective they were in saving lives.
My second experience
happened just this past August. I responded to another single-vehicle crash in
which a driver lost control of his vehicle. He died from his injuries but his
passenger survived without any injury. Again, someone again made a choice that
not only cost them their own life, but impacted the lives of others. And again
there are family and friends that have to grieve over the loss of a loved one.
So the lessons learned
in these two cases are simple: Wear your seatbelt and don’t speed. And, please don’t drink and drive. I also ask you to take your thoughts one step
further: Think of your friends and loved ones who will
have to suffer for that one wrong decision.
Sgt.
Matt Vogt serves with the police department in Valley Center
Sgt. Vogt. Thank you for the reminder that the simple act of putting on a seat belt every time we get in a car can be a matter of life and death.
ReplyDeleteSgt. Vogt. Thanks for your stories and the reminders that vehicles can be lethal weapons, but don't have to be.
ReplyDeleteI am reminded again of the often forgotten ones traumatized by the results of accidents--the first responders and police and highway patrol officers. The ones that I know or have met are very caring and competent individuals who do their jobs with little recognition of the impact of injury, death, and destruction on them. Some of us suffer the effects of one or even a few incidents in a lifetime, others have not only to deal with their own feelings and memories, but with those of family and spectators as well. Thank God for you and others like you.