Nurse Trapped in Deadly Texas Pileup Crawled Out Car Trunk and Reported to Work

Updated:   Published

Does it make sense to go to work after a car accident like the one this nurse was in? Thoughts? Should the nurse have helped any of the injured people, went to the emergency room or went to work?

"It's an incredible story you have to watch! This Texas nurse was headed to work when she became trapped in the deadly Fort Worth pileup. But that didn't stop her from doing her job. Her interview in the video above." abcnews

https://abc13.com/texas-fatal-pileup-crash-nurse-crawls-out-of-deadly-who-survived-reports-for-work-massive-pile-up-and-workd/10331588

Specializes in Hospice, Geri, Psych and SA,.
14 hours ago, Davey Do said:

I was thinking about your post after signing off last night, Moon, and what an terribly calloused, unfeeling so and so this sup was.

It's almost unimaginable to me to think that the sup expected you to come into work after such a traumatic event.

The sup's action makes me want to punch them in the face.

And, although I've never hit a woman, if the sup was female, for her, I'd make an exception.

Strangely enough, she and I actually developed a very positive working relationship. I admit that it took me a while to warm up to her after my first conversation with her! When we did become friendly, I never did ask why she acted that way. Oh well, we all have our moments I suppose!

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Specializes in Psych (25 years), Medical (15 years).
6 hours ago, TheMoonisMyLantern said:

Strangely enough, she and I actually developed a very positive working relationship. I admit that it took me a while to warm up to her after my first conversation with her! When we did become friendly, I never did ask why she acted that way. Oh well, we all have our moments I suppose!

Well then, I take back my words and my threatened act of aggression, Moon. We have all had moments of insanity, so we can just chalk that one up to an insane moment of the sup's.

Relationships are like that- either they're love at first sight, or they have to come into being.

And revisiting isn't always necessary in order to have a civil relationship and it shows your higher consciousness in not holding a grudge.

I remember one episode where  I was rather blunt and straightforward with a relatively new nurse and our relationship didn't get started on the right foot. She ended up proving herself to be a quality nurse and a nice person.

It may have been years that passed before the subject of first meetings came up. I said something along the lines of, "I know I was rather harsh with you when you and I first met and I want to apologize for that". I went on to tell how she impressed me with some of her nursing interventions.

You'd thought she'd won the lottery with her exclamations of joy and hugs.

She allowed me to unload some baggage and now I've got a nice memory to boot!

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Specializes in PACU, ICU, OR, ODSC.

If she doesn't feel comfortable getting out of her car and staying in a very dangerous situation...I don't blame her for not staying and helping. She's not a first responder. Until the scene is secured and traffic completely stopped it's not worth it.

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Specializes in Private Duty Pediatrics.

When I was a student nurse, I met a patient who had been in a bad car crash. He told me that he didn't think he had any major injuries, so he actively helped the others. At one point - I think he was helping carry a person - his spine slipped and severed the spinal cord.

He became a paraplegic.

How did the nurse referenced by the OP know she did not have any serious injuries? 

I do understand that, in the heat of the moment, she might not have thought it through.

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On 2/16/2021 at 11:00 AM, Kitiger said:

When I was a student nurse, I met a patient who had been in a bad car crash. He told me that he didn't think he had any major injuries, so he actively helped the others. At one point - I think he was helping carry a person - his spine slipped and severed the spinal cord.

He became a paraplegic.

How did the nurse referenced by the OP know she did not have any serious injuries? 

I do understand that, in the heat of the moment, she might not have thought it through.

I can see how the nurse felt it was right to help the people, as it can be hard to not want to help. At the same time, it wasn't the nurses duty. My post is not a what you have to do kind of thing but what do you think a person should do, ( in your opinion).Good point about the injury. The nurse didn't know where his body stood in terms of injuries after the accident. I wonder if he  regrets his choice or if he could do it all over again, wouldn't do anything different. Being in the situation makes all the difference I am sure, if you see someone within reach of you reaching out for help, you may think, let me help, I can't walk away from this person but on the other hand the person should think am I endangering myself more by helping?  This brings me to the going to work part that happened with the Texas nurse because after an accident it is possible to have a similar outcome like the student nurse,  as you may lift a patient and injure yourself further. She may have felt her injuries were minor. Ultimately we all make different choices bssed on the information we have at hand and our personal feelings on matter.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Specializes in Critical Care.

I think the nurse was in a state of shock as she watched her life flash before her eyes and felt cars and trucks crashing into her and behind her with no end in sight.

I read that the highway where this deadly crash occurred hadn't been salted.  Apparently Texas does not use local govt employees, but rather outsources it city needs such as highway maintenance.  The private company apparently dropped the ball and lives were lost!

Also they have totally deregulated utilities and alone in the country are not part of the federal system or any other state.  Consequently all the utilities were not prepared for this cold spell and now millions find themselves without heat or electricity!  At first I thought this was due to ice on the lines, but no this was a deliberate decision by the energy companies to shut down people's electricity to try to forestall a total blackout.  But it was supposed to be for hours only and it has turned into days with no end in sight!

One last note, slightly off topic, but shocking to me is that Texas does not require employers pay into workers comp.  Instead they can choose to self insure and make their own rules along the way.  Obviously workers have less rights in the private system and are at the employer's mercy.  I don't know if the hospital systems in Texas pay into the standard workers comp or a private system.  I read several states allow this.  You have less rights and remedies if injured and effectively would have to get an attorney and sue the company as a last resort.

 

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At the minimum, I would go home, turn the news and open a beer. Not going to work is a foregone conclusion if my car is totaled in a pile-up. All nurses are replaceable and disposable. If you’re not desperate, never confuse work with anything other than an economical enterprise. Loyalty starts with the self. 

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Specializes in Specializes in L/D, newborn, GYN, LTC, Dialysis.

I think she was in shock. It explains what she did and why. And staying on the scene would not have been helpful, may have actually dangerous.

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