{"id":1295,"date":"2019-02-19T19:40:15","date_gmt":"2019-02-19T19:40:15","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.crosshairscommunity.com\/?p=1295"},"modified":"2019-02-19T19:40:15","modified_gmt":"2019-02-19T19:40:15","slug":"emergency-preparedness-tips-to-survive-a-vehicle-crash","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.crosshairscommunity.com\/?p=1295","title":{"rendered":"Emergency preparedness: Tips to survive a vehicle crash"},"content":{"rendered":"

Jamie Jo Hokenbrough, of Richfield, will never forget her horrific car crash on Nov. 18, 2014 \u2014 yet she will never fully remember it, either.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI was pulling out of a steep driveway onto Rt. 147 outside of Norry. I couldn\u2019t see very well, but I remember I wanted to get home as soon as possible because my son was getting off the bus from school soon,\u201d she said. \u201cI wound up right in the path of an oncoming Dodge truck with a farm trailer attached. He hit me on my side, right in front of my door.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

That\u2019s about as much as she can remember of the incident that left her with a ruptured bladder, a subdural hematoma, a subarachnoid hemorrhage and fractures in her back \u2014 except for the sound of an approaching helicopter.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI vaguely remember the loud roar of LifeFlight coming, and it really scared me,\u201d she said. <\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cEmergency responders on the scene told me about my accident, and I was in and out of consciousness. I allegedly kept complaining about my belly hurting and that someone needs to get Wyatt off the bus.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Between the hospital and rehab, she was in treatment for 11 days, but has experienced a variety of health issues since the accident \u2014 including memory loss. A single mother, she said the accident has also affected her son \u2014 who was 10 at the time and deals with autism.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cTo this day, he practically monitors my every move,\u201d she said. \u201cHe knows how long my commutes should be. So if I\u2019m not back in time, he\u2019s a mess. He immediately thinks I wrecked. He\u2019ll try to call my cell right away.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Vehicle collisions come in all types and severities \u2014 from fender benders to fatalities \u2014 just don\u2019t refer to them as accidents, according to UPMC Injury Prevention Coordinator Annalisa Negrea.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWe like to call them crashes or collisions because they can absolutely be prevented,\u201d she said.<\/span><\/p>\n

Regardless of the terminology you use, area medical professionals suggest the following tips if you find yourself involved in a car crash or if you come across one:<\/span><\/p>\n

Safety first<\/b><\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThe first thing to do is to make sure you are in a safe position,\u201d said Melanie Stump, coordinator of Evangelical\u2019s pre-hospital services. \u201cYou don\u2019t want yourself in any additional danger, and if you are involved in a crash on a busy road like Route 15, it may not be the safest place to get out of the vehicle.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

According to Evangelical Paramedic Coordinator Douglas Keefer, in most cases, it is safest to stay in the car.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cIn most cases, you are putting yourself in a higher risk situation if you leave the vehicle,\u201d he said. \u201cOf course, if the car is on fire or there are other immediate life-threatening situations, you may need to evacuate.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Before doing so, it is critical to take a moment and assess your situation and your surroundings.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cYou want to calm yourself and evaluate yourself \u2014 in a crash, the adrenaline can be pumping and things may not hurt like they would in other circumstances. It all can happen really fast,\u201d Keefer said. \u201cYou also need to look beyond the car. Did someone hit a telephone pole? Are there wires down?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

If downed power lines are involved, extra caution is necessary, Negrea added.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cIf that\u2019s the case, I don\u2019t suggest getting out of the vehicle, but instead call for emergency assistance first,\u201d she said. \u201cIt can be hard to assess which lines are live and which are not, and guessing wrong can be deadly.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Call for help<\/b><\/span><\/p>\n

Once you assess your situation, how badly you and others may be hurt and what the scenario looks like, Stump suggested calling for help.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cNowadays, everyone\u2019s immediate reaction is to grab a cell phone and dial 911,\u201d she said. \u201cIt is important to have as much information as possible to give dispatchers so the proper resources can be sent. How many are hurt? How severe are the injuries? Are there additional safety issues such as downed power lines? Where is the accident?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

The questions may be overwhelming to someone dealing with a traumatic situation, Keefer admitted, but the answers can make a huge difference in how the scenario is addressed.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cIn the role of a first responder, we ask a lot of questions, and the more info we have when we arrive, the quicker we can jump into action,\u201d he said. \u201cOn the scene, we continue to ask questions and there\u2019s even a triage process that takes place. We don\u2019t need license and insurance information \u2014 our first goal is to help you and others involved in the situation.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Assist others<\/b><\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cIf you see someone else who is hurt, it is OK to get down and ask right away if they are OK. Is that person unconscious? Are they breathing?\u201d said Deb Erdman, trauma prevention coordinator for Geisinger Medical Center. \u201cIs there serious bleeding? If you see enough blood that would fill a soda can, than you should try to do something to stop it. Rarely do people carry a tourniquet, but anything can be used as a pressure dressing \u2014 a scarf, a T-shirt, a towel. Apply direct pressure.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

If that doesn\u2019t help, Stump suggested using a makeshift tourniquet.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThey can be a sketchy thing, but in a pinch you can use something like a belt and put it above the injury pretty tightly,\u201d she said. \u201cIt is also a good idea to keep refreshed on CPR. Classes are easy to find, even school-aged kids are learning the basics now and if you are trained and come across someone unresponsive, you could save a life until medical professionals get on the scene.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

It is also critical to keep others calm and warm until emergency staff arrives.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cShock can be a very dangerous reality for those involved in traumatic situations. Keeping a person warm can help them avoid shock, and keeping them calm and focused can make a real difference,\u201d said Erdman.<\/span><\/p>\n

Throughout the process of responding to the crash, it is critical to keep re-assessing the safety of all involved, and to take steps to improve the odds that everyone stays secure.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cIf you can, get your vehicle off the road and move it somewhere where it won\u2019t hinder emergency personnel when they arrive,\u201d said Negrea. <\/span><\/p>\n

Assisting others also involves getting the word out that there is a collision ahead.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cDo what you can to alert other drivers as they come upon the scene. Use flairs and other things to let people know there is a situation ahead and to drive carefully,\u201d Erdman said. \u201cIf needed, use a vehicle and its flashers to help protect the scene.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Use common sense<\/b><\/span><\/p>\n

In a world dominated by social media and instant updates, Stump advised being cautious what you share.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cAbsolutely don\u2019t share photos or videos from the scene, because you don\u2019t know who out there is connected to those involved in the crash,\u201d she said. \u201cWe had an employee at Evangelical found out that her brother was killed in a motorcycle crash through a Facebook post.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

It is also important to not add to the stress of a collision situation by gawking at the scene while passing \u2026 slowing down can cause additional accidents, Negrea said.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI sit on some meetings with PennDOT, and there are actually people who share that they were involved in the crash simply because they drove past it and saw it. There is a new law out there where if you come along something like an emergency vehicle, it is necessary to get over as far as possible and slow down,\u201d she said. \u201cKeep moving as you pass the scene \u2014 don\u2019t slow down more to gawk \u2014 you can become a victim yourself by gawking.<\/span><\/p>\n

Don\u2019t ignore emotions<\/b><\/span><\/p>\n

Witnessing a traumatic situation such as a vehicle collision can lead people to additional issues as they try to mentally cope with what they saw.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cAs emergency responders, we have special training on how to deal with traumatic situations, and there is still an extremely high rate of Post Traumatic Stress and even an increased suicide rate among first responders,\u201d Stump said. \u201cDon\u2019t be afraid to seek out help if you saw something you are struggling with, especially if it affects your sleep or daily functioning.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Keefer added: \u201cA lot of companies offer employee assistance programs that can put you through to a counselor to deal with life changes or coping with a traumatic situation.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Paperwork, followup<\/b><\/span><\/p>\n

Reporting an accident is an important step in the process, and one that should be handled once everyone\u2019s medical situations are addressed.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cIt is still important to go through the proper process of reporting a crash to your insurance company, to trade information with the others involved in the collision and even to take pictures with your cell phone to document damage,\u201d said Erdman. \u201cJust make sure to address the critical medical situations first. If police are involved, they can help with the reporting process. And if you start feeling worse after the collision, you need to seek out medical attention, even if you start by going to urgent care or your primary care provider.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Preparation, prevention to help avoid injury<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Valley medical professionals agreed that the best way to survive a car crash is to prevent being in one in the first place.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cBe a cautious driver by avoiding distractions and not drinking and driving,\u201d said Evangelical Paramedic Coordinator Douglas Keefer. <\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cMost cars have a bluetooth option nowadays and you can use hands-free options to avoid texting and driving.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Pay attention to road conditions and adjust your driving, added Deb Erdman, Geisinger Medical Center.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWe recently had issues of flooding and water across the road. With all the rain lately, make sure you don\u2019t drive through standing water,\u201d she said. \u201cYou don\u2019t know if the road is still there below the water and even if it is, your car can hydroplane and get out of control. Also, winter driving means being cautious for snow, ice and black ice situations.\u201d<\/p>\n

It is also critical to make sure everyone in the vehicle is safely restrained, said Melanie Stump, coordinator of Evangelical\u2019s pre-hospital services.<\/p>\n

\u201cAbove all, make sure you and everyone in your car is wearing a seat belt,\u201d she advised. \u201cMake sure your infants and kids are in proper 5-point harness. Evangelical offers car seat safety checks. And remember, once a car seat is involved in a collision, it is recommended that you replace it with another.\u201d<\/p>\n

Erdman suggested being prepared at all times in case of an unexpected driving situation.<\/p>\n

\u201cCarry emergency supplies such as blankets, snacks, extra medications and even diapers and formula in case you get stranded somewhere,\u201d she said. \u201cAlso, always let someone else know where you plan to be and approximately how long you will be away. I tell my husband where I am going and when I plan to be back, and if I am not back by a certain point, he can start calling and looking for me. It can be a big help especially in the rural area we live.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Jamie Jo Hokenbrough, of Richfield, will never forget her horrific car crash on Nov. 18, 2014 \u2014 yet she will<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":1296,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[959],"tags":[974,972,975,976,971,973],"class_list":["post-1295","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-health","tag-ambulance","tag-car-crash","tag-emergency-preparedness","tag-geisinger","tag-health","tag-triage"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.crosshairscommunity.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1295","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.crosshairscommunity.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.crosshairscommunity.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.crosshairscommunity.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.crosshairscommunity.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=1295"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.crosshairscommunity.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1295\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1298,"href":"https:\/\/www.crosshairscommunity.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1295\/revisions\/1298"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.crosshairscommunity.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/1296"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.crosshairscommunity.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=1295"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.crosshairscommunity.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=1295"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.crosshairscommunity.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=1295"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}