The other day I stepped out onto my front garden, which consists of a lump of concrete on a busy road in the middle of Oxford. I was standing there having just put out a cigarette. On the left of my peripheral vision a bloke was wandering across the road. I heard a ‘thump’ sound and my eyes switched to him, to see the man mid way through being twatted by a Bus. I have provided a diagram below.
He was spun 180 degrees and landed head first on the kerb. He collapsed on the floor shaking, totally unconscious, and the bus continued, running over his feet! At first a trickle then a torrent blood immediately started to pour from his head. As everyone ran over, I ran away, not being a coward, but to call and ambulance. I was quite shocked at the time and when I got outside again a few people were crowded around, including a medical student who was doing first aid. She was simply asking him his name and not touching him, as you can’t move someone with a head injury. He was mumbling and slowly returning to consciousness.
The Bus parked up and proceeded to cause an enormous traffic jam, and people in their SUVs slowed down to offer help. A doctor turned up from the local surgery and started to help. An ambulance threaded its way through the traffic and while the paramedics encouraged him onto the wheelie trolley the police turned up. The cops briskly took statements from everyone around, including the bloke who had been bussed.
The ambulance drove off, the police parked up and things returned to normal as there was little more to see. And that was that, lots of helpful people, plenty of doctors around and efficient emergency services. Not that bad really.
I was amazed at how quickly the blood poured from his head and then stopped, and how the litre or so on the street coagulated into a bright red jelly like mass so quickly. I’ve seen tons of virtual blood and loads on telly but I never ever see it in my day to day life.
I was also very impressed with the way the emergency services turned up and matter-of-factly did their jobs. I am always complaining about the police, especially when they are on TV moaning about human rights and civil liberties stopping them from doing their job, or apologising for shooting innocent people. It’s good to see them doing the job that we actually want them to do, and need them to.
