Some memories are unforgettable!

cop_story_edited-8I never heard the crash but when I glanced out the window people were running toward the corner near our house. When I got there it was a shocking sight. A young motorcycle officer was sprawled in the intersection, his mangled bike a good distance away…the smell of gasoline strong in the air.

I knelt beside him to do a quick assessment of his injuries. That, among other things, he had a fractured hip was all too obvious. Though all this happened many years ago…it remains crystal clear in my mind. I remember how burning hot the pavement was on my knees. I checked him over quickly and told him I was an RN and that his pulse was strong and steady and he would be fine and help was on the way.

The pain must have been excruciating but he never made a whimper. His eyes bored into mine needing reassurance that I was telling him the truth. He reached for my hand and never let go until the ambulance men lifted him onto the gurney.

Someone handed me his gun belt with all the equipment on it and I was amazed at the weight of it.

One thing will always stand out in my mind…the sound of the sirens. The ‘Office is Down’ call had gone out and they were coming to him. Not just the police but the Sheriff and Highway Patrol had heard the call and were responding. It was like being in the epicenter of approaching sound from ‘every’ direction!

And then all the bustle was over…the only siren sound now was fading into the distance and I walked home…my hand aching.

Epilogue:  He healed from all his injuries and returned to work. At the site he said “I’ve been to so many accidents and lying here on the ground looking up is the weirdest feeling!” I ‘ve often wondered  if he didn’t have even more compassion afterwards for ‘the guy looking up”.

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