The Merriwether Rescue Squad's softball team was all suited up, looking very spiffy when the Fairfax Emergency Corps' ambulance pulled into the parking lot. Their entire team was packed into one rig, and I chuckled as I watched them stream out all at once. It almost reminded me of one of those circus acts with the clowns piled into one little car.

Our squad building sits on a corner lot, next door to the police station. Just beyond the police station is a large recreational complex with a softball field and tennis courts, complete with bleachers, picnic tables, benches and grills. The squad had worked a deal with the town's recreation department to reserve the ball field for every other Sunday during the season. Half our games would be hosted by the other squads in the league, six teams in all. Everyone on both teams was especially enthusiastic about this first game, and there was a lot of good-natured bantering between the two squads as to which had the better team.

Mom, Dad, Jeanne, Maggie and Becky sat at a picnic table close to the playing field. Sporting a baseball cap and sunglasses, Jeanne held up a New Year's Eve noisemaker, indicating she was ready for some action. Becky insisted she wanted to run out to the field to see Daddy and her Bubba, and Maggie had her hands full trying to explain she needed to stay put. Jeanne finally gave Becky an extra noisemaker she had tucked in her pocket and told her to help cheer the team on. Becky settled down, happy with her new "cheerleader" role.

In the bottom of the first inning, I got a single, and Jeanne and Becky cheered wildly, making the most possible racket with their noisemakers.

It was a gorgeous day with the temperature in the seventies and not a cloud in the sky. At the end of the fourth inning, the game was tied at five runs each, and the crowd really seemed to be enjoying the game. Suddenly I heard the sound of screeching tires and car horns blaring, followed by a horrendous series of loud crashing noises. All play stopped immediately. The duty crew and I ran at top speed to the intersection to assess the situation, while Josh ran inside the police station to notify the dispatcher of the accident.

It was one of those chain reaction accidents, with a total of fourteen vehicles involved, right smack dab in the middle of the intersection. Wreckage was strewen everywhere and traffic came to a complete standstill in both directions.

By now, the players from both teams had reached the corner and were standing by to assist if needed. I quickly strode over to the group, told our people to bring out our two rigs, then asked the Fairfax captain if they would mind bringing theirs as well. Two Merriwether members and one from Fairfax went to bring the ambulances, while the rest of the two teams jumped into the chaotic scene to help.

Despite the large number of vehicles involved, it turned out there were only three people seriously hurt and three "walking wounded." Not too bad for a fourteen-car pile-up. However, four people were trapped in a tiny two-door sports car and the next step was to get them out of there as soon as possible.

Both doors on the sports car were caved in and stuck shut. After looking inside, I was able to determine that four people had moderate to serious injuries. Just then, the first policeman on the scene came by and I asked him to tell the fire department bring the "Jaws of Life" so we could extricate the four trapped people.

Meanwhile, I got the center punch and a blanket. Knocking the rear window out carefully, I tried not to get any glass on the victims in the back seat, who appeared more seriously hurt than those in the front. Then I put the blanket across the base of the broken window and stepped up on the back bumper. In seconds, my entire top half was inside the back of the sports car. I worked quickly and carefully, assessing the extent of injuries and getting vital signs.

Members of the two squads were working on the three victims from the other vehicles and they were able to get the first two loaded into Merriwether's duty rig fairly quickly and on their way to the hospital. The other patient had a broken femur and possible spinal injury, so it took a little time to get a backboard and traction splint properly in place.

One of the police cars on the scene drove the three walking wounded to the hospital. As they were leaving, the first fire truck arrived with the Jaws of Life, followed moments later by two other trucks. While the men from the first truck began prying open the doors on the sports car, the other firemen methodically foamed down the highway to prevent any chance of a fire starting from sparks or gas leaks. By now, the first of the tow trucks arrived. The scene was becoming increasingly chaotic, with several emergency vehicles, flashing lights at every angle, and, of course, the crowd of curious onlookers.

While the ambulances were gone, some of the members of the Merriwether crew had gotten together and brought out the picnic gear from the squad building. The league decided each game would end with a picnic, with the host squad providing the "munchies." By the time all three rigs returned, the hot dogs and burgers were sizzling on the grill and the picnic tables all set.

I was in the first rig and headed over to the group. "Hey, I thought the picnic was supposed to be after the game! We only played four innings, and our regulation games are supposed to go seven innings. What gives?"

"Yeah, we know, Cap'n.," one of the chefs replied, "but we all worked up an appetite at that accident scene and figured we can finish the game after. Should be plenty of light left, what with Daylight Saving Time and all."

"Okay," I responded. "Why not? Come to think of it, I'm kinda hungry myself. Need a hand with those burgers?"

"Nah, thanks anyway, Joe. We're all set."

After the picnic I pointed out that if we were ever going to finish that game, we'd better hurry.

At the end of the seventh inning, the score was again tied, this time at nine. The committee that put together the league rules had previously decreed no game would go into extra innings, so this game would go down in the official record books as a tie. Most of us felt it was fitting. It was pretty hard competing against each other right after working side by side together at the horrific accident scene. As the shadows lengthened, we all broke up, with shouts of "We'll beat you next time!"

"Whew," I said to the others after we all piled into the van. "Seems we can't do anything these days without something wreaking havoc, interrupting our normal routine. But at least I'm thankful there were no fatalities. Let's all remember to pray for the accident victims tonight, okay? And . . . hope tomorrow goes a lot smoother. I don't know about the rest of you, but I'm tuckered out and am going to make this an early evening."








Continue to Chapter 15


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