Saw something awful today.. What do you think the situation was?

[C.Ann]

Earlier today I had to travel to two different cities - one to pick up my new glasses - and the other to go to DMV to renew my drivers license..

To get from one city to another, I took a long, flat country road that separates the two - from east to west.. The speed limit is 55 mph - straight shot - no hills or turns - and you can pretty much see forever..

As I was driving along, I saw a State Police vehicle quite a distance away with the lights flashing - pulled over on the side of the road - no other cars around.. As I got closer, I could see there was something in the ditch and I assumed someone had hit a deer.. The trooper was sitting in his patrol car and appeared to be waiting for someone or something..

The closer I got, I could see clearly that there was "something" in the ditch, but I was still assuming it was a deer.. However, as I got up quite close, I was able to see that it was an elderly man - lying in the ditch, with an old fashioned bicycle a short distance away (in the ditch as well).. He had a full head of white hair (his head was pointed towards the road - almost on the pavement of the shoulder), with his face turned in my direction as I approached the scene), was wearing a bright red tee shirt, and blue jeans.. He was lying kind of on his side - not moving at all - with his arms and hands kind of curled around himself (think of "hugging" yourself).. I could see his face clearly and his eyes were closed.. (The State Trooper vehicle was parked about a car length and a half beyond where the man was lying in the ditch..)

I was shaking pretty bad when I passed by (he was so still, I'm fairly certain he was dead), but I still kept looking in my rear view mirror to see if the trooper was going to get out of his car - which he never did.. There was no ambulance on the scene nor did I hear any sirens in the distance..

If the poor man was dead, wouldn't the trooper have covered his body? And if he wasn't, wouldn't he have been there by his side until help arrived? From the time I first saw the flashing lights ahead of me until the time I could no longer see them behind me, there was more than enough time for the trooper to radio for help and then return to the man..

Anyone know what the protocol is for something like that? Do you think there's any chance that the man was still alive?

I have to admit that I was pretty upset for the duration of my drive back here to the lake.. I'm just glad that the trooper was already there because if I had seen that man lying in that ditch out in the middle of nowhere - where there isn't even cell phone service - I don't know what I would have done..

There was nothing on the local news tonight, but the "local" news is not really for here in the north country.. Tomorrow I will check the newspapers online for the two cities I visited up this way and see if there's a news report of any kind..

Wish I kew what the situation was.. I feel horrible for that poor elderly man..

If he was drunk, would the trooper have left him lying there in the ditch? At this point I think I would prefer to think that he was severely intoxicated - as opposed to the other alternative..

 

[mickeyboat]

I guess I would hope he was calling for help - possibly giving a detailed explanation about the man's condition. I hope he is o.k. I can see how shaken up you could be to witness it.

 

[agnes!]

I saw something like that once. I've never forgotten, it had me shook up for a long time. And when I go by that place on the road, I remember that day very well and usually say a prayer for the woman's family.

agnes!

 

[marlynnp]

If a patrol came across something like that, or was called & was the 1st responder, they would be doing exactly what that officer was doing.

That is potentially a crime scene - hit & run. Other than checking for vitals they would not want to disturb the scene until the investigators arrived.

 

[C.Ann]

If a patrol came across something like that, or was called & was the 1st responder, they would be doing exactly what that officer was doing.

That is potentially a crime scene - hit & run. Other than checking for vitals they would not want to disturb the scene until the investigators arrived.

That's what I was afraid of.. But don't they at least carry a sheet or something to cover the body until someone else arrives?

And how could someone run another human being down like that and then just leave them in a ditch??? Disgusting!!

 

[Handbag Lady]

Almost the same thing happened to me several years ago.

Except here in Los Angeles, we don't have long stretches of roads between our cities (just signs so you know when you've crossed one into the other).

I was on my way to Santa Monica via Venice. I rounded the corner heading into the traffic circle and there was a dead guy at the bus stop. The police were there, and two other emergency vehicles were there.

The body wasn't covered. It appeared to me that he had died overnight from the cold. He was just there, next to the bus bench. (May he rest in peace.)

I don't get it either. They SHOULD have covered the poor man out of respect. Plus, what if I had kids? (What do parents do in that situation, anyway?)

 

[golfgal]

I would guess that he did not have anything to cover him with OR like others have said, couldn't disturb a potential crime scene.

 

[disneymarie]

Earlier today I had to travel to two different cities - one to pick up my new glasses - and the other to go to DMV to renew my drivers license..

To get from one city to another, I took a long, flat country road that separates the two - from east to west.. The speed limit is 55 mph - straight shot - no hills or turns - and you can pretty much see forever..

As I was driving along, I saw a State Police vehicle quite a distance away with the lights flashing - pulled over on the side of the road - no other cars around.. As I got closer, I could see there was something in the ditch and I assumed someone had hit a deer.. The trooper was sitting in his patrol car and appeared to be waiting for someone or something..

I was shaking pretty bad when I passed by (he was so still, I'm fairly certain he was dead), but I still kept looking in my rear view mirror to see if the trooper was going to get out of his car - which he never did.. There was no ambulance on the scene nor did I hear any sirens in the distance..

If the poor man was dead, wouldn't the trooper have covered his body? And if he wasn't, wouldn't he have been there by his side until help arrived? From the time I first saw the flashing lights ahead of me until the time I could no longer see them behind me, there was more than enough time for the trooper to radio for help and then return to the man..

Anyone know what the protocol is for something like that? Do you think there's any chance that the man was still alive?

..

C.Ann
When I had similar incidents as a PD I would pull up on the scene and ID what the situation was. If the person was deceased I did not disturb the scene and wait for the crime scene people to come and determine if it was natural causes, hit and run etc. If he was drunk, the officer would have been with him.

I did not have sheets in my cruiser. A few times I did, I could not cover to disturb unless it was a car accident and I covered the windows of the car. I could not cover a potential crime scence. I could have sheets held up if I could have the hands.

Generally the Ambulance and/or coroner would respond, I would not cancel as I needed to have their assistance to cover and secure the scene.

I am sure you just happened on a recent find. Someone likely hit the poor man and left him there. Therefore you can not contaminate the scene at all for finding car parts, chips of paint, tire tracks etc. "Transference" of eviddance could happen, your feet could step on evidance, carry potential evidence away if you touched...You would likely have seen skid marks blaring at you, pieces of debris in the roadway something to show an accident. That may be why it was not on the news..

Also at his age, it would have to rule out a heart attack. If he was off the bike as if he lay down not feeling well it sounds. If he had been hit, the bike is very damaged, as would be he contorted,
It really sounds like it was a potential heart attack, or other medical problem. Sounds like a long stretch for an elderly man to be peddling.

He could have hit something in the roadway, or lost control landing in the ditch.

It will fade from your memory.
I use to have to pretend it was a movie set and remove my emotions to be able to survive.
Di

 

[luvsJack]

I, too, would have thought they would carry something to cover the body. Dh drives a truck and has passed many accidents over the road. Every accident he as seen, if the law is there, the bodies are covered by a sheet or something.

 

[Claudia1]

A couple of months ago, an elder man on a moped wiped out in front of me and my pregnant DD. He went down and we stopped to help. He was lifeless but had a pulse. DD is easily upset so I had her go to the nearest house for help while I called 911. For a minute, I thought he was dead.

He was drunk and came to about the time the ambulance & police arrived. He was definitely knocked out for at least 5 minutes, so they took him to the ER.

Well, he was mad that he had to go to the ER and he probably got some type of warning or ticket for driving impaired. I see him driving all the time now, always without a helmet. He does not remember me or my van but he apparently is angry at "whoever called the **** police".

I know how upsetting that can be. So sorry you had to go thru it!

 

[C.Ann]

Well, thanks for the replies anyhow.. I was so hoping that it would be something other than the poor man being dead..

I guess the silver lining is that I didn't find him before the State Trooper did.. I honestly don't know what I would have done..

 

[EMom]

When in doubt, they won't mess with a potential crime scene. Hit and runs take place all the time. It was best that he stayed away from the area, unless the man was still alive and needed CPR or something.

I don't know about forgetting it......When I was five, my mother and I came across a man who had gone off the road in the rain while driving his tractor. (We lived in a rural area.) My mother told me to stay in the seat and not look, no matter what......But you KNOW what a 5 y.o. who is told "don't look" is going to do. I stood up in the seat and looked. To this day, I remember the sight and it was not pretty. He was a mess. She came back to the car and found me making this face: To make matters worse, my parents hauled me to the funeral home to pay their respects, as it seems they knew the man. They never used a babysitter, but took me everywhere. My 5 y.o. brain thought he'd look exactly like he did when my mother had found him and I was scared witless. Of course, he didn't.

To this day, I am scared of dead people, funeral homes and funerals. I don't rubberneck at wrecks. I'm afraid of what I'll see.