Today was a weekday early. Which meant there would be plenty of RTC's to keep those budding traffic officers busy. I knew this in advance because there are always plenty of RTC's on weekday mornings. Some people will do anything to get the day off work!
I popped along to lend a hand at two today.
The first was called in by ambulance. They'd been on standby round the corner when somebody told them about a crash on a nearby roundabout. They raced along, calling us to assist whilst en route. By the time I got there (less than 5 mins after the call) there was only one (badly damaged) car at scene and the paramedics scratching their heads. Apparently the driver of this vehicle had got into the other car involved and both parties had driven off together.
As we considered the possibilites (kidnapping, stock car enthusiasts, practical jokers) the other vehicle involved returned. Basically the first driver was being driven around by the other party involved trying to arrange recovery of his vehicle. Even though the car was a total write-off and the collision could have caused really serious injury they were getting along famously, helping each other out. Restored my faith in human nature. I felt like hugging them both for giving me such a pleasant start to the day. (Didn't though. Still cynical enough that I didn't want to be accused of making any whiplash worse!)
The second one was a single vehicle RTC on a really fast and busy dual carriageway. An elderly gent driving a huge 4x4 had managed to leave the road, drive into a ditch, come half out of it again as he drove along the ditch taking a load of small trees and hedges with him before coming to a stop teetering on the edge of the ditch. (too many uses of the word "ditch"?)
He was another really nice fella who kept saying that he'd been driving since 1947 and that this was his first crash. Unfortunately he kept asking us to allow him to try and drive out of the ditch, thereby not needing a recovery truck. No matter how many times we pointed out that he could end up turning his car onto it's roof he wouldn't have it. Had to take the keys off him in the end. But that's the sort of single-minded "never say die" attitude that got us through the Blitz, so fair play to him.
The recovery truck came and dragged him out and I gave him a lift to their depot. Had the chance to sit and chat with him (mostly involved me screaming loudly into his left ear as he was "a trifle deaf") about his wife and their 50 year marriage.
So, lots of nice people and it was lovely and sunny. Cracking day at work.
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