He'll be 17 forever now.

[Cuban_Liberal]

Some days I hate my job; today is one of those days. *sigh*

I got a call at 10:40 last night about a pickup truck running with the lights off at the entrance to a local state park. I was close by and arrived in under 5 minutes. I shined my spotlight on the back window and could see two people inside, so I hit my lights and gave one short 'whoop' on my siren to see if the people would turn around, or something. They didn't.

I got out of my squad and approached the driver's side door of the pickup, banging on the side of it with my hand, thinking the occupants were alseep. Again, no reaction. I looked in the driver's side window and saw two young males, apparently asleep or unconscious. I rapped on the window and got no reaction; I then tried to open the door, but found it locked. I went to the passenger's side door and found that it, too, was locked. At this point, with no reaction from the occupants, I broke the passenger side window with my Maglite and opened the door.

I shook the passenger and yelled at him, but got no response, so I pulled him from the truck and laid him on the ground. Did the same with the driver, got the same response and so I pulled him out and laid him next to the other kid. I called for backup and an ambulance and then checked both kids for signs of life. One had a weak, thready pulse and the other one didn't. I started CPR on the kid without the pulse and kept it up until a trooper arrived to help, about 10 minutes. 2 minutes after that the ambulance arrived and the paramedics took over.

To make a long story short, the 17 year-old driver died in the ER of our local hospital, a victim of carbon monoxide poisoning, and his 18 year-old passenger is critical from the same cause. They went out drinking, apparently, and turned on the truck's heater to stay warm. The muffler was defective and the truck's floorboard had holes in it. These kids were in high school, and last night was a school night. Call me old-fashioned, but what in the HELL were they doing out at that time of night?

I don't know if I'm more sad or more pissed off, but all I know is that I am NOT a happy camper this morning...

[GOPisEvil]

1. How sad for their families.

I knew I shouldn't have clicked on this thread...

As to what they were doing out at that hour, I'm sure their parents will be asking themselves that question too.

:-(

[Cuban_Liberal]

4. I had the 'honor' of telling both sets of parents.

I went by both houses to tell the parents to go to the hopsital. Absolutely SUCKED having to do that! :(

[Bunny]

2. Oh I am sorry you had to go through that.

This will be hard on the families. At least you were able to save one of the kids - I hope he'll have a full recovery. Cops get a bad rap a lot of the time, but you are one of the good ones. Take care, maybe Paddy will bring you a nice cup of tea! :hug:

[Cuban_Liberal]

6. He's at school.

I'm holding Brody, and drinking a cup of tea. *sigh*

[LosinIt]

3. This happened to a couple of young kids from my hometown.

They were sitting on a village street right in the middle of downtown, such as it is, talking, it was below zero, they had the heat on. After somebody passed them coming back from the bar and saw them slumped over they tried to revive them and they were both dead. It was such a tragedy, especially because the girl's mother was on the volunteer ambulance squad and replied to the call. It wasn't pretty.

[lcordero]

5. "Call me old-fashioned..."

that's not "old-fashioned", it is having common sense. A parent should be in their child's business 24/7.

[Cuban_Liberal]

8. The thought that kept going through my mind

The whole time I was doing CPR, I was thinking "These kids just shouldn't BE here!"...:(

[blondeatlast]

7. Thankless job, I expect. So sorry about this, but thanks for what you do.

It's appreciated more than you will ever know.

:hug:

[Cuban_Liberal]

9. Most of us try very hard.

We try to do the very best we know how each and every day, but some days it just doesn't seem to make a difference. *sigh*

[Beaker]

10. a girl i went to high school with met a similar fate-

about 20 years ago-
she was single, and working as a waitress at a large truck stop along the interstate, when she went missing, in the middle of a very hot summer.
A truck driver from indiana was also missing, his rig left sitting in the parking lot of the truck stop. he was married with kids.
For 10 days, with the temp in the 95-105 degree range, they were missing- then her car was found in back of a corn field, the two of them were in the car, dead of carbon monoxide poisoning. they had parked there for the obvious reasons, and left the car running so that they could have the A/C on- but her car had an exhaust leak, and they died.
And the two bodies lay in a sealed up car for 10 days in 100-degree heat...I can't even begin to imagine what it must have smelled like in that car.

[Maddy McCall]

11. That's horrible, CL

Such a sad thing to happen. Saying a prayer for the surviving boy and a prayer for you, too.

My father was a fireman in his younger years, and deaths always caused him great pain, which he kept to himself, but it was evident in his eyes.

Don't keep your anger and sorrow in. Good that you came to DU to express it. My thoughts are with you.

:grouphug:

[Cuban_Liberal]

12. I had to vent.

I see too many guys try to 'suck it up' and just hold it in. That's not healthy, IMO, and it helps to vent about it.

[Red State Rebel]

15. You are right, it isn't healthy...

Thank you so much for doing what you do. I know it has to be heartbreaking and frustrating and downright terrifying at times but it is appreciated.

Feel free to vent when you need to - we need good, healthy police officers out there looking out for us.

[Maddy McCall]

19. Agree with all you said

It's a thankless job.

[ewagner]

23. When you stop venting,

you stop caring. Law enforcement needs people like you.

Sorry you had such a bad night. There will probably be other bad nights, but there will also be some really good ones too.

I've worked with a lot of officers and I've spent many a night in the squad cars with them. It's a tough job and in my opinion, one that's undervalued by society.

Best wishes to you.

[DemSigns]

13. Fancy electronics in cars but CO dector

CO detectors should be standard equipment in cars. I hope everyone of you have CO detectors in your homes of you have gas or oil fired appliances.

I don't let my kids sleep over at friends house without asking if they have smoke detectors and CO alarms. Make sure your loved ones homes have CO detectors too! Ther have been more CO deaths since 9-11 than died in 9-11. CO the silent odorless killer.

[Cuban_Liberal]

14. We have 2, plus one in each car.

We had a hard-wired one installed when we moved in here, at my insistence, and we have a battery-operated one for backup. We have the same arrangement for smoke detectors.

[ScreamingMeemie]

16. A hug for you Cuban Liberal, your job is a tough one...but I am

grateful for those like you. The ones who take the job home with them, the ones who have compassion. How wonderful though that you showed up perhaps in time to save the life of the other boy.

I am so sorry that you had to find that.

Great big hugs,Laura

[Cuban_Liberal]

17. Thanks!

*hugs*

[SOteric]

18. Thank you

for caring deeply enough about strangers to be both hurt and angry.

:hug:

[Cuban_Liberal]

20. Thanks!

I just love kids, and stuff like this really gets to me BADLY.

[Lars39]

21. This could have been me at age 17.

Boyfriend had a mustange that leaked carbon monoxide. Wasn't real noticable for the first few years he owned the car, but by the time he finally got rid of it, we couldn't even ride an hour in the car without getting sleepy and feeling kinda sick. We were ignorant and lucky.

One of the other posters, Losinit, said an emergency worker responded, and it turned out it was her own son. My mom worked ER for years in a small town, and the biggest fear is that one of your loved ones will be wheeled thru the doors. And of course it did happen. Mom had the honor, too. It takes compassion to tell bad news. I'm sure you did it well, even though it hurt like hell for you to do it. :(

Accident scenes seem to generate secrets in a way. You'll witness, or probably already have, things so horrible, that you won't want to burden anyone else(not even Paddy) with the gut-wrenching details that you'll need to express to preserve your peace of mind. I hope there is a counselor/psychologist that works with your police dept.

Big hug. :hug:

Lars

[Cuban_Liberal]

27. I'm going to talk to a friend of ours tonight, after she gets off work.

She's a LCSW, and she's always a good one to listen. I've talked to her before, and it helped.

[Lars39]

31. Good.

I'm so glad you've got somebody IRL that you can talk to about all this. 'nother big hug. :hug:
Take care,
Lars

[Cuban_Liberal]

32. Thanks!

Paddy came home a while ago, and I've been talking it over with him, too. That, and this puppy I'm about to pet the fur off of, seem to be soothing. :hug::)

[grannylib]

22. How horrible...for the victims, families, and for you...I have such

respect for the jobs the police/EMTs do...one of our good friends is a volunteer firefighter, and on the EMT team, and was one of the first people on the scene of the accident that took our daughter's life...even though they couldn't save her, I can't tell you what it meant to know he was there, along with a whole host of other people, doing a tough and miserable duty...
Blessings to you, and a hug...

[Cuban_Liberal]

26. The boy who died's father just left.

He showed up at the door about an hour ago, to thank me. This poor man said, "My son only had one chance last night, and the people in the emergency room said that you gave it to him. I had to thank you for that, deputy". We both just lost it, and he and I sttod there in my door hugging and crying for about 5 minutes.

His kid was a good kid--- never in trouble with the law, good grades, active in sports and extra-curricular stuff, a seemingly bright future ahead of him --- and now all of that's gone, as well as his folks' dreams of being able to brag a little about their son, their dreams of grandchildren, etc., and for what?

This is just one of those times when you ask God 'Why?'...

[Pithlet]

28. Oh, how sad.

:tears: I'm getting off the computer right now and hugging my babies. Between this, and hearing about Carlie, well, it's just too much.

[indigo32]

24. Wow CL

what a sad story. I don't know what to say except to thank you for the work you do and for caring.

[Beetwasher]

25. You Saved A Life Last Night

That's something to be proud of. The loss is hard, but at the very least, one boy is still alive because of you.

[GreenPartyVoter]

29. :(

That's so sad.

[Lostmessage]

30. That's so sad

You saved a life and that is something to be proud of.

[redqueen]

33. How awful

:(

I'm so sorry you had to deal with that, but you know your service helped to save the life of one, and that you were the only hope for the other. Be proud of yourself for having the courage to do that job. You guys don't get enough thanks.

I'm glad you had a puppy around while no one else was. :) My prayers are with you and those families.

Thanks again for being one of the good guys! :hug:

[Cuban_Liberal]

34. Thanks!

I try every day to do the very best job I know how to do. :hug:

[redqueen]

35. No, thank you!

We love you for it!

:loveya:

[Don_G]

36. It Really Sucks

I had a similar problem a year ago.

My 73 year-old Mom died of a stroke and I discovered her.

I was the one that had to call the Coroner, make arrangements and explain to her Mom and Sisters how and when she died.

It's hard enough when something that happens in the family; I can't imagine telling strangers that kind of bad news as part of my profession.

I wish you the best....

[cally]

37. Thanks for what you do

When I started reading your post, I kept wondering how it feels to approach a car like that. The fear must be overwhelming. Then, to react and try to save lives and then mourn later. I respect you for what you do. I know you did all you could do.

What I most commend you for is how you honored the man's father. You showed your caring by mourning with him. It matters. The father who came and thanked you on the day his son died is an incredible human being. I'm glad someone like you tried to help his son and comforted him.

[Dookus]

38. damn...

I'm so sorry, CL. That ain't right. But the other boy's alive now because of you - don't lose sight of that. Go snuggle with Grover.

[Ediacara]

39. *hug*

[geniph]

40. Bless you for saving the older boy

and I'm so sorry about the younger one. I have a friend who's a Seattle police officer, and I know how hard this stuff is on her. Good cops are worth their weight in gold, and we DO appreciate you. I know it doesn't always seem that way, but most of us civilians are grateful you're out there, keeping us safe.

[Blue_Roses]

41. How sad

As someone who has been a social worker for many years, I can relate to hating your job. Anytime I see a child die a senseless death my heart breaks. It's no wonder we have such a high burn-out rate.

This along with the news of the little girl in Florida makes for a sad moment today.

[Coventina]

42. This is beyond words for me.

Thank you.

:hug:

[never cry wolf]

43. I appreciate your service, I could not handle it

My son wants to be a cop and it is an admirable position in our society. I feel for you buddy!!

[YellowRubberDuckie]

44. Thank you so much for your wonderful heart and service...

What you did for those kids is heroic. You're such a wonderful guy. :hug:
Brody senses your pain and probably wants to comfort you just as much as you need comforting. I'm sorry you lost that kid, but remember, you saved the other one, and if not for you, neither would have even had a chance. God Bless you, CL. :hug:
Duckie

[Cuban_Liberal]

45. The other kid is doing better, I just found out.

I just checked with the hospital, and they said he's stable. Thanks for the hugs. :hug:

[northofdenali]

46. The police do have the most heart-rending, thankless job.

Thank you for your service, CL, and I'm sending good karma your way, and to the families of these poor kids. You are not old-fashioned; however, sometimes parents can't know what the teens are up to - I used to get away with a lot, and my folks were fairly strict.

Take care of yourself, and be careful.

[Padraig18]

47. You saved the other lad, Tony!

It's a tragedy about the one lad, sure enough, but if you hadn't done what you did, they'd both be dead. All anyone can do is the best they know how, and you did it. :hug:

[fortyfeetunder]

48. Thanks to you

One life was spared. Count me in as another DU'er that is immensely proud of the work you've done.


have to kick this one for more visibility
:kick: