Chapter 3 - Aftermath

Brian was amazed. It was the first time since joining the force ten years ago that he had gotten time off at Christmas. His mother would be so thrilled to have him home this year. This holiday traffic is horrendous he thought. Good thing my flight is delayed due to the snow. Just then he saw the eighteen - wheeler weaving to and fro on the overpass above the crowded road below it. He drew in a sharp breath as he watched in horror as it careened out of control smashing sideways into the retaining wall sending chunks of concrete sailing out over the cars ahead of him. Dear God, he whispered aloud, as the truck bed slid on the icy overpass spinning 180 degrees hitting the concrete, sending the truck airborne over the retaining wall onto the cars below.

Leaping from his cruiser he called the accident in on his portable radio. Running towards the scene he spoke hastily to the dispatcher. “Dispatch One, Dispatch One this is Officer Kent. We need numerous fire, ambulance and rescue units immediately. I have just witnessed an eighteen wheeler crash on the overpass at Creek Pike and the I – 70 interchange. The rig plummeted over the side of the overpass onto the cars below. First analysis, we have approximately 15 cars hit by the rig. There are also numerous cars that were hit on the overpass. I’m going to evaluate the wreckage.

Making his way past the cars in front of him that had not been involved in the accident he was yelling for those people to remain calm and to stay in their cars. Thank God this storm is letting up, he thought to himself. I’d hate to try and deal with this in the blinding snow.

Another one of the motorists came running forward carrying an emergency medical bag. He was quickly moving past the cars that had not been too damaged from the concrete briefly stopping to check to see if the car’s inhabitants were alright. Once gaining affirmation that there were no serious or life threatening injuries he would move to the next vehicle, all the while dreading the horrible catastrophe looming before him.

Shouting across to the police officer he yelled, “I’m a paramedic. I’m going to check the cars over here. OK?”

“Sure thing.” Brian called back.

Not waiting for a further reply the paramedic moved forward. Even though he was racing against it, time began to stand still for him as he got into the zone of his job. As he reached the first car that had been smashed by one of the larger pieces of concrete, the windshield had been severely cracked by one of the pieces of debris and a second piece had found its way into the car striking the passenger in the face. After a quick assessment he determined the woman had suffered only a broken nose and a few scratches on her face. Providing her and the driver with some gauze bandages he moved onto the next vehicle. Continuing this method of hastily treating the non life threatening patients he was able to move rather quickly through the series of vehicles on the outskirts of the accident scene. The injuries became to be more serious as he got closer to where the tractor trailer had landed.

As he neared the mangled wreckage everything became eerily silent. There were no cries for help and no desperate pleas from other passengers. Just silence. In the distance, the wail of the rescue equipment grew louder as it neared the scene. From car to car he made his way finding none alive. There were several cars trapped under the massive wreckage of the remnants of the tractor trailer. Suddenly there were numerous fire and rescue persons swarming around the scene assisting whoever they could get to first. Moving further towards the tractor trailer he determined that the driver had not survived either. As the fireman cut the wreckage away he was able to check for potential survivors in the cars that had been trapped under the trailer. None. Out of the four cars he’d checked, so far there were none. Two more cars to go, he thought to himself. He hurried to the first car as soon as the debris was removed. Three passengers and none were still alive. The last car was freed rather quickly. Looking in he saw a single passenger. Reaching in the driver’s window that had been busted out he felt the woman’s neck for a pulse. It was so weak he almost missed it at first but there it was slow and shallow. Turning from the car he shouted for the ambulance crew to come immediately. They delicately removed the woman from her car and placed her on the gurney. Carefully they raced her to the ambulance placing her inside. He was shocked at himself as he began to lose his control over his detachment. He was so good at keeping his emotions at bay during these types of situations. This person’s life began to take hold of him as the despair welled up inside of him. Please let her make it he prayed silently. If there ever was a time for a miracle, this was it, he thought.

Slowly walking back towards his car, the police officer walked up to him and said, “what a hell of a mess this was, huh?”

“You could say that again. Man, how depressing. Only one survivor out of 18 cars. Twenty – six people just lost their lives. I feel numb and it’s not from the cold.”

“Amen,” agreed Brian. “By the way, my name’s Officer Brian Kent,” he said sticking his hand out for a handshake.

“Name’s Ken, Ken Waters,” he replied as he took Brian’s hand in a firm grip pumping it up and down.

“I wanted to thank you for your help. You were really terrific.”

“No need for thanks man, that’s what our job is. You were great too.”

***

The emergency crew was quick to respond to the gruesome scene. The truck driver had been killed on impact. His charred body was pulled from the wreckage and placed on a gurney in a body bag. The firefighters used every means available to cut Alexandra from her mangled car. None of them could believe that she had survived such a horrific accident. She was hanging on by a thin thread as the ambulance carried her through the streets of the city to the local hospital. The crew assessed her injuries as they relayed the information ahead to the waiting staff at the emergency room of the hospital.

“We have a Jane Doe with multiple injuries…”

As the remaining emergency crew was cleaning up the rest of the wreckage, one of the firefighters noticed her wedding dress on the back seat of her car. Along with it he found her shoes, the gifts from her shower and her notebook with her wedding notes in it. Luckily it hadn’t been too damaged when they were extracting her from the car. Inside the notebook he found the calendar directing him to the church where everyone was gathered for the rehearsal, waiting for her. He motioned to Officer Kent who was still on the scene.

“I just found this in that woman’s car. What a tragedy, according to this it looks as though she was heading to the church for her wedding rehearsal. Someone should head over there and tell them what’s happened. According to this she was supposed to be there almost an hour ago. They need to know what’s going on.”

“I’ll go right away to tell them”, Brian said. “It’s a good thing you found this because we didn’t find any ID and we couldn’t get to the console of her car to check her registration.”

He took the notebook and hurried as quickly as he could on the snow covered streets to the church to notify the family.

After hanging up the phone with Jacques, Kimberly hurriedly rounded the corner on her way to the back door of the church totally prepared to let her sister have it for being so late when she was greeted by a police officer. “Where the heck have you… Oh, hello she said a little startled. I’m sorry officer. I thought you were my sister.”

“Good evening ma’am, my name is Officer Brian Kent.”

“What can I do for you officer?”

“Well…” Brian began, but Kimberly cut him off before he could continue.

“Oh my God!” Kimberly exclaimed as she looked at the book in his hands. “That’s my sister’s wedding planner! What’s happened? Is she alright?” Putting her hand to her mouth she could barely say the words out loud as she whispered, “Is she…dead?”

“Well ma’am to be honest…Is there some place where we can go and talk privately?” he said as he looked around trying to find a place to sit and deliver the news. There was a small prayer room across the hallway. Motioning towards it Officer Kent said, “How about over there?”

Following the officer into the little room Kimberly sank into one of the chairs trembling. “Please officer, tell me about my sister,” she begged.

Taking in a deep breath he explained what had happened, “she was in a severe car accident and has been rushed to the hospital. I radioed in for an update on her condition before coming in the church but there has been no change. I have no news other than that she’s still listed as being in critical condition.”

He was just finishing his sentence as his gazed flicked to movement behind her as others from the wedding party made there way through the door.

“What’s going on,” questioned Brad, as he walked to stand beside of Kimberly.

“Yes, what’s going on,” several of the others asked all at once as they followed him into the little room.

Kimberly blurted out in a shaky voice; “Alexandra’s been in a bad car accident. Please everyone be quiet so that Officer Kent can tell us what he knows.”

“Well, I happened to witnesses the accident. There was an accident on the bridge overhead of where your sister’s car was stopped in traffic. The accident involved a tractor trailer which crashed through the retaining wall and fell on top of your sister’s car.”

“On top of her car,” Kimberly exclaimed.

“No. Not on the roof, not directly on top of the car,” he said quickly. “It was more towards the front where the engine is located. Per our initial investigation, it appears that during the impact of the crash, the back end of your sister’s car was lifted in the air, like a see saw and then slammed back down to the ground again. When they removed her from the car there was a large piece of the retaining wall that had also pierced through the windshield. I’m sorry to bring such bad news to you at what’s supposed to be such a happy time. The only reason I knew to come here, was because of the information found in this notebook,” he said as he held it out for all of them to see. “It was found on the backseat of her car by one of the emergency crew.”

“What do you meant that the only reason you knew to come here was because of her notebook. Why didn’t you check her ID,” questioned Shelly as she stepped forward and put a comforting arm around Kimberly.

“Well ma’am, to be quite honest, we found no purse or wallet containing ID in the car and the front passenger side of the car was severely damaged, not only by the tractor trailer but also by the fire when the tractor trailer exploded upon impact. This made it impossible for us to search for any registration to the car.”

“Dear God,” wailed Kimberly, turning and hugging Shelly with all of her might. Suddenly turning back around, she said in an authoritative voice we have to get to her now.

“I can take an immediate family member with me in my cruiser; the rest of you will have to drive yourselves. I should warn you though; the streets are treacherous and getting worse as we speak.”

“Mother, do you want to go with Officer Kent or should I?”

“You go. I’ll ride in the car with Brad and Shelly.”

“Fine; Officer Kent, can we please go,” Kimberly asked as she stood up from her chair and made her way back out into the hallway. Taking her coat from the coat rack she continued, “I want to get to my sister.”

***
The trip to the hospital was slow and tedious just as Officer Kent had warned. The streets were in horrible condition and the plows could not keep up with the blinding snow. Officer Kent tried to make small talk but he could tell her mind and heart wasn’t in it. Kimberly tried to maintain the conversation with Officer Kent, but her thoughts were constantly pulled back to her sister. “What am I going to find when we get to the hospital,” she thought dreadfully to herself. “My poor baby sister…”

Arriving at the hospital, Officer Kent pulled up to the entrance of the Emergency Room, which was protected by the overhang of the roof. Putting the car into park he said, “I’ll escort you in,” but she had already bolted out of the car and was running through the doors.

Rushing to the main desk of the ER, Kimberly said to the nurse, “my sister was brought in a little while ago from a car accident.”

“What’s her name?”

“Alexandra, Alexandra Page.”

“I’m sorry, but I don’t have anyone by that name.”

“Jane Doe,” said Officer Kent as he walked up behind Kimberly. “She was brought in as Jane Doe.”

“Thank you Officer, I forgot that,” replied Kimberly.

The nurse said, “I’ll let the Doctors know that you’re here. Please have a seat and someone will be out soon to talk to you about your sister.”

Officer Kent gently took her by her elbow and guided her to the sofa in the waiting room. “Can I get you anything,” he asked. “Coffee, tea, water?”

“No thank you,” she replied. “You’ve been most kind. You don’t know how much it has meant to me to have your support.”

“You’re welcome.”

They settled into a comfortable silence. A short time later the rest of the family and wedding party came rushing through the ER doors making their way to the waiting room where Kimberly and Officer Kent were sitting.

“Is there any news about her yet,” asked Shelly.

“No; nothing.”

“You’ll be in good hands, now that your family is here.” Reaching into his shirt pocket he pulled out a business card. “When there’s news about your sister, would you please call me? I’d like to know how she makes out.”

“Of course,” Kimberly said as she reached out to take the card. “Thank you again for everything.”

“You’re welcome. Good night.”

***