On March 11, 2012, at around 12:55 pm, I was westbound on I-240 just passing S Western Ave (in the middle lane), when I saw a white Saturn swerve to the left hand lane, slam into the center median wall, do a complete 180 (almost flipped) and then came to a rest on the concrete median. With very little time to react, I turned on all my emergency lights, moved over to the left lane, grabbed my cell phone, grabbed my reflective vest and ID and exited my truck. As I ran to the vehicle, I could not get my vest on, so I held it to my side. The occupant, a male driver was dazed from his airbag deploying and there was a toddler (maybe a 2 year-old) in the back seat. There were no apparent injuries, but the car was smoking on the inside, so I advised him to turn off the engine. I checked the little boy to make sure he was ok and then went back to my truck...still trying to get my vest on.
During this time, I am still on the phone with OHP, giving them my location, type of car, etc......I was standing by my truck, when another passerby stopped to help. As the other driver spoke to the victim, I could hear the driver trying to release himself off the concrete barrier. I was still on the phone with OHP and told the driver to stop. Instead, he took off and darted across three lanes of traffic, trying to get away, almost causing a multiple-car pile-up. I was still on the phone with OHP, still sitting in the left-hand lane, giving direction of travel and explaining that he was trying to leave the scene. As he got across to the inside shoulder, his hood popped up, blocking his view. He got out and tried to secure it. Myself and the other passerby carefully manuevered behind him, urging him to stop, but he got back in his vehicle and took off again.
Then, he turned off onto the shoulder into the grassy area between the interstate and service road and tried to make his getaway. Still on the phone with OHP, I gave his tag number and location to the OHP dispatcher. For a moment, he was stuck and I figured he could not go any further. To my surprise, he maneuvered enough to get his car off the muddy and wet grass and across the street to an apartment complex. When he entered the complex, his hood popped up again, so he got out to shut it. I safely followed him as he pulled into a parking place at the complex. The passerby behind me, went around me and pulled up next to the car. The accident victim got out, waved me on...but he looked like he wasn't altogether. I parked my truck at a good distance (not knowing what he would do next), stood at the apartment entrance and then flagged down an OHP Trooper as he arrived on the scene.
As the Trooper pulled up, three more troopers and an OCPD officer pulled up. As I walked over to the accident victim, the other passerby that stopped to assist, advised the officers he was a U.S. Marshall and found a gun on the male driver. The driver was also carrying a knife. He explained he had taken an Oxycontin pill about two hours earlier, but didn't say for what reason. The Marshall advised the trooper that when he approached the vehicle after the accident (and I was back at my truck), he saw the male driver put something in his mouth. Also found out the guy had no papers for his car, his license was suspended and he did not have a CCW permit for his weapon (he had a shoulder holster on)
While I was there, the wife of the U.S. Marshall comforted the little boy that had been in the car. He was crying, but safe. While Troopers took mine and the Marshall's information, I contacted Mr. Weiss by cell phone to tell him where I was at. This all happened so fast, I had no time to get on my radio and call anyone. While I spoke with Mike on the phone, another Trooper was giving a field sobriety test to the male driver. Once the troopers got my information, I gave them and the U.S. Marshall our REACT business cards and they all thanked me for stopping. The Marshall was especially thankful that I had turned on my emergency lights so quickly as to alert the drivers behind me.
As I turned off my emergency lights and started to drive off, the Troopers thanks me and I watched as they handcuffed the male driver and put him in the back seat of their cruiser. I cleared off at 13:25 via radio to unit 728.
Question...would I have done anything differently?
Answer....I doubt it.....I did what I thought was the best to do in that emergency situation. The wind was blowing, so I could not get my vest on, but it was by my side and I could be seen. My main goal was to contact OHP and check on injuries. Since nobody else stopped initially, I had to do call OHP, check for a safe scene, check on the driver and passenger and make sure OHP had the proper information they needed. I assumed once the scene was safe and the driver was stopped on the interstate, I could call in on my REACT radio, get my vest on and stand by the accident victim. Unfortunately, this was not a cut-and-dry situation. It could have turned deadly for other drivers as well as for the little toddler in the back seat. When he cut across three lanes of the interstate, in front of all that traffic, I just knew there would be a pile-up. We were blessed nothing bad happened. Since he was driving erratically and trying to leave the scene, I knew something was not right, so I kept my distance. I stayed on the phone with OHP the whole time because their troopers needed to get there fast and take control of the situation. When he pulled into the complex, I stayed a very safe distance. If I had pulled up behind him, he could have pulled the gun out and shot me. If the Marshall had not shown up, I would have held my position and waited for OHP. I would have not approached this male for any reason.
http://www.centralokreact.org/
