Motorcycle Accident 5-7-2017

[USA#1]

My mother and father in law picked up my daughter on Sunday to go buy her some new shoes. On the way to Greenwood, they witnessed an accident involving a motorcycle. I believe it was somewhere on Stop 11 Rd. The guy on the bike was injured pretty badly including a mangled leg. My father in law was able to use his belt as a tourniquet until the professionals arrived. All the witnesses had to stay around for awhile to give statements. My daughter recieved an IMPD Junior Officer Badge sticker. It was a pretty traumatic event and my father in law was pretty shook up afterwards and wanting to find out if the motorcycle rider he had helped had survived his injuries. I have not been able to find any news about this accident. If anyone has any updates on this, please let me know. PM me if you need to. Thanks

 

[Benp]

Ugh, that's horrible. I'm glad your FIL was able to help.

 

[natdscott]

Reason # 567 why you should always wear a belt.

Nice work.

-Nate

 

[CountryBoy19]

Reason # 567 why you should always wear a belt.

Nice work.

-Nate

Belts will function at TQ, but it's faster and easier to use an actual one. Couple the fact that you're most likely to witness a severe car accident while you're in the car yourself, it makes more sense to keep a small trauma kit and TQ in your car. I have one in every vehicle, not just for me and my family if the need should ever arise, but also if I witness a nasty accident.

Sorry, I don't mean to take away from what the OP's FIL did, it was a great thing. But I can tell you that if I were there, and wearing my carry belt (heavy, double-layer, stitched leather) there is no possible way to make an effective TQ with it. Lastly, what do you do with your carry gun when you have to take the belt off?

 

[churchmouse]

Belts will function at TQ, but it's faster and easier to use an actual one. Couple the fact that you're most likely to witness a severe car accident while you're in the car yourself, it makes more sense to keep a small trauma kit and TQ in your car. I have one in every vehicle, not just for me and my family if the need should ever arise, but also if I witness a nasty accident.

Sorry, I don't mean to take away from what the OP's FIL did, it was a great thing. But I can tell you that if I were there, and wearing my carry belt (heavy, double-layer, stitched leather) there is no possible way to make an effective TQ with it. Lastly, what do you do with your carry gun when you have to take the belt off?

This is a good point ans a reminder for me to get my kits updated and back in the vehicles.

 

[Fargo]

Your PM box is full.

 

[USA#1]

Your PM box is full.

Sorry. I didnt realize my i box was at capacity. It has been cleared. Thanks

 

[femurphy77]

I came upon a motorcycle/Cadillac accident back in the early '80's. the car had turned square in front of the bike and although I didn't see it the motorcycle was still somehow running. It was pretty obvious that the guy on the bike was near death and all the stupid **** that hit him could say was "Look what he did to my car!" One arm was ripped wide open but there was very little blood and although he was still breathing the emt's said to each other that he was dead as they rolled him into the ambulance. Unfortunately physics and ignorance are NOT on the side of the biker.

 

[natdscott]

...I don't mean to take away from what the OP's FIL did...

Yet there you are, doing so.

I don't need a lecture on carrying a trauma kit anymore than I do whether I should wear a belt or not. I'll keep doing both, thank you.

-Nate

 

[churchmouse]

Yet there you are, doing so.

I don't need a lecture on carrying a trauma kit anymore than I do whether I should wear a belt or not. I'll keep doing both, thank you.

-Nate

That was uncalled for don't you think.
His comment reminded me I have mine out for refreshing and have yet to do it. Post #5. Never saw it as a lecture.
Lets call it a public service reminder.

 

[Cameramonkey]

And they are cheap, and small enough to fit in the palm of your hand. While a CAT-T is great, This is better than nothing. (or a belt) And it will drop into a first aid kit and not take up much room.

https://www.amazon.com/H-Associates...1?ie=UTF8&qid=1494387942&sr=8-1&keywords=tk-4

 

[bwframe]

Good work FIL! Most folks don't have the skill or the will to help out others in real need.

 

[CountryBoy19]

That was uncalled for don't you think.
His comment reminded me I have mine out for refreshing and have yet to do it. Post #5. Never saw it as a lecture.
Lets call it a public service reminder.

Thanks CM, I was about to be much less diplomatic than you...

Yet there you are, doing so.

I don't need a lecture on carrying a trauma kit anymore than I do whether I should wear a belt or not. I'll keep doing both, thank you.

-Nate

Whether you saw it as a lecture or not is up to your personal interpretation. I was simply trying to point out that even though the average person may be able to get away with using their belt as a TQ, most carriers will not be able to do so effectively for the reasons mentioned. Even in this group very few people have probably ever used a TQ (in practice or real emergency), and may not know what makes an effective TQ and what doesn't. My message wasn't intended to "lecture" anybody, I simply quoted you because what I had to say was a follow-on to what you had to say.

Lastly, if you think I took something away from what the OP's FIL did you seem to be the only one. He potentially saved a life (have yet to see data that gives us a clue as to the motorcyclist's condition), pure & simple, there is no other way to say that and there is NOTHING I can do or say to take that away. That being said, if the injury were worse, or in a different location, the belt may not have worked and we wouldn't be having the discussion...

Oh, and one other point, I remember back in ~July 2011 in Northern Indiana (Elkhart area maybe), a woman's life was saved after a car/motorcycle collision and her leg was completely severed. A fast-acting Marine vet used a belt and cornstalk to fashion a TQ. Once again, a belt could be effective, but it depends on the belt, and I still don't know what I would do with my gun. Would you hand your gun to a bystander to safeguard while you jump into action?

 

[russc2542]

Yet there you are, doing so.

I don't need a lecture on carrying a trauma kit anymore than I do whether I should wear a belt or not. I'll keep doing both, thank you.

-Nate

Chill out before you melt, Snowflake! I'd call his post more useful than your post. If you actually read it, you'll notice it's a compliment for actions performed and constructive criticism for next time that could save someone's life if it depends on having a mediocre tourniquet vs a fully effective one.

In some jurisdictions, with recent legislation, removing your firearm from the belt and setting it on the ground (never mind handing it to someone) could be construed as losing possession of it. With others around, it could fall into the hands of someone without performing a background check. OMG THINK OF THE CHILDREN

 

[SMiller]

Tourniquets​ are like guns, if they are not on your person they are not much good, when YOU need a tourniquet will you be able to get to your kit or vehicle to get it before bleeding out? The answer is no, keep your tourniquet and your firearm on you at all times!

While I swear by the SOFT-T-W and carry them in my kit my go to on person is a RATS in a RATS belt sleeve, no it is not the best tourniquet but it will slow blood flow enough to get a plan together.

 

[CountryBoy19]

Tourniquets​ are like guns, if they are not on your person they are not much good, when YOU need a tourniquet will you be able to get to your kit or vehicle to get it before bleeding out? The answer is no, keep your tourniquet and your firearm on you at all times!

While I swear by the SOFT-T-W and carry them in my kit my go to on person is a RATS in a RATS belt sleeve, no it is not the best tourniquet but it will slow blood flow enough to get a plan together.

While that is a great plan, the odds of convincing even a small portion of INGOer's to assume that role is unlikely, let alone convincing the average person on the street. I was targeting my post toward the average person on the street. Sometimes it sounds great to try to be prepared for every possible occurrence that could ever come our way but reality says we can't prep for them all. So we prep for the most likely. I will say that outside of industrial accidents that would often occur at a person's place of employment or farming accidents, the next most likely severe trauma that would require a TQ is a car accident, which is most often witnessed by other motorists. If those other motorists had even a simple trauma kit in their vehicle they would be a great deal further ahead than 99.9% of motorists on the road today. And unless you/I/they jump the gun and exit the vehicle without the kit, they will be able to access it and respond (assuming it isn't buried someplace stupid like the trunk) in a timely manner, much more timely than with a belt.

You do bring up good points though. In some cases you won't be able to make it where your TQ is, so it's best to have it on your person. But that's an inconvenience to many people and they won't heed that advice. Do you also keep a chest-seal and other major trauma stuff on your person? We can't possibly carry a full EMT level trauma kit with us everywhere we go. So we make calculated risk/reward decisions in what we carry.

ETA, SOFTTW is my favorite also... I first got exposure to them before they even hit the commercial market. The SEAL team I was working with got a decent sized box of them and gave one to me. I subsequently ordered several more when I got back from that trip... Quick buckle, unbreakable windlass, and very effective. I practiced putting that on 1-handed and had my times down to under 15 seconds from retrieval to blood-flow cut-off, which is remarkable.

 

[femurphy77]

Cool another post uselessly spiraling into name calling!!! What's the over under on Thor coming out of the closet!!!


This is the kind of crap I love about INGO!

 

[bacon#1]

Good work FIL! Most folks don't have the skill or the will to help out others in real need.

Agreed
It's been a few months back when we rolled up on a wreck. Car was on its driver side with the a pillars crushed against a tree. I was slowing down and turned to ask the wife if she wanted out. She had already jumped out the truck and was on the move. She couldn't access the passenger side because it was to high in the air. I was in the truck with the kids so she had another person on site smash out the back window and proceeded to crawl through the broken glass to help the girl. Not much she could do but comfort here until emergency services arrived. The girls legs had been crushed against the dash. Ambulances get there and she hops back in the truck all cut up and bleeding. I hadn't ever seen that side of her before. I guess 8 years in trauma OR you are ready for about anything.

 

[Double T]

I carry a CAT tq. I've seen the RATS, I have no faith in them, something about the smaller diameter lines and uneven compression comes to mind.

Regardless, I don't care if you carry a TQ or not. At least have medical grade gloves nearby.

 

[CountryBoy19]

Cool another post uselessly spiraling into name calling!!! What's the over under on Thor coming out of the closet!!!


This is the kind of crap I love about INGO!

It's definitely spiraled off-topic (I'll take a portion of the blame), but I only saw 1 incident of name-calling. CM will do a good job of putting a stop to it if it goes any further...