Posted on 09/06/2006 6:42:27 PM PDT by Samwise
LAFAYETTE, Ind. -- Resting in a hospital Wednesday, Indiana State Police Sgt. Rich Kelly said he was in better shape than he thought he was going to be after a crash on Interstate 65 this week.
The crash's witnesses might think so, too.
Kelly had pulled over a tractor-trailer on I-65 in Clinton County and was doing paperwork in his squad car Tuesday afternoon when a second tractor-trailer slammed into the back of the car, crumpling it into the first truck.
To the amazement of witnesses, Kelly -- though hurt and bleeding -- got himself out of the wreckage. He emerged while spitting out a mouthful of glass and trying to clear debris from his eyes.
"I came out of my car, and I could see the look on the people's faces that were outside the car. I could see that they were pretty much shocked that I was coming out," Kelly told 6News' Norman Cox in his room in Lafayette's Home Hospital, which released the trooper hours after the interview.
Kelly would learn after the wreck that he had a broken vertebra along with many cuts and bruises. But in the moments following the crash, he said Wednesday, he didn't know whether he would survive. He was bleeding from his head.
"I thought that there was a high probability" of dying, Kelly said.
Kelly recalled the moments preceding the crash, saying he had no time to react to the approaching truck. He said he was typing on a laptop computer when he heard what turned out to be the tractor-trailer.
A mangled mess was made of Sgt. Rich Kelly's car, making it hard to imagine how he escaped.
"(I asked myself,) 'What is that noise?' And the next thing I know, I mean, it was dashboard and airbag and metal and glass," Kelly said.
Kelly's wife, LeAnn Kelly, said she saw pictures of the wreck after visiting her husband in the hospital. She said she believes his survival was a miracle.
"I've seen a lot of accidents. I've seen a lot of photos. I have never seen anything that bad and seen anyone walk away from it," she said.
Police said the trucker that hit Rich Kelly's car did not obey the state's move-over law, which requires vehicles to slow down and move a lane away to give police officers room to work.
No arrests were immediately made after the crash. Police said an investigation could take weeks to complete.
Rich Kelly, who said he loves his job and doesn't believe he'll have a problem with returning to road patrols, said he isn't sure whether his survival was miraculous.
"There was enough room to live in that car, and for whatever reason, I was given that much room. I would say that probably that it is a slight miracle," he said.
"I always hang a rosary in my car and my wife is like, 'Oh, it's a miracle that you're even alive.' And I say, 'Well, we've got good company in there' so that may be one of the good things that happened. That's all you can hope for," Sgt. Kelly said.
From the link in post 19.
Yes, it is. Thanks for finding it.
In-a-Ugo.
I dunno. I posted another link in post 19. Maybe you can tell from the video (First Person link). There are other cars in it.
it's just amazing he was able to walk away from that.
I am not aware of this law. So if the person is parked on the shoulder, you're supposed to go over to the left? It doesn't make sense. Isn't a shoulder supposed to be for emergency purposes/authorised vehicles???
whoa... Super Trooper!!!
What make of car?
Process of elmination leads me to believe it was a Ford Crown Vic.
Yes, that's the law in Indiana. A few years ago we had a long string of officer deaths because idiots just crashed into them.
Its common in many states and spreading. Its not really unreasonable either I can't believe they need a law but it looks like we do.
Either slow down or change lanes for emergency crews. If you want to do 70 as you pass give them a lane's berth otherwise SLOW DOWN.
The move over law here in NC requires motorists to move to the left lane if an emergency vehicle is stopped on the right side of the road, shoulder, emergency lane, etc.
Don't know about that, but a dozen years ago I was driving on the interstate and switched lanes to avoid a semi on the side of the road. This was in the middle of winter, with ice and snow, and I slid off into the median.
I got winched back onto the highway; no tickets were issued.
I agree it looks to be a Ford Crown Victoria.
I'd go buy a lottery ticket...
might not be a bad idea
Because the truck is in a jack knife position, I'd be willing to bet something happened prior to the impact of the police car that got the truck jack knifing... ...but we'll never know the truth because it's ALWAYS the trucks fault...
Over 90% of all police vehicle in the Uniteds States are Ford Crown Victorias. It's a good bet that was a Crown Vic in the pic.
The Crown Vic used to have a bad habit of exploding when rearended by a high speed vehicle.
We lost a Missouri State trooper about two years ago in a similar incident. He was writing a ticket out and a 1 ton dually pickup pulling a large trailer hit the Crown Vic in the rearend. The P/U was doing about 70 to 75mph when it hit the troopers car. The trooper died from his injuries, the gent getting the ticket was lucky to get out of the car alive and had serious injuries as I recall.
Ford supposedly redesigned the gas tank area a couple years back but the Mo trooper had an earlier car. Not to many cars can take a hit in the rear end and come out okay.
Glad to hear that Sgt Kelly is okay.
Regards
alfa6 ;>}
"I agree it looks to be a Ford Crown Victoria."
As I recall, GM got out of the business. The other alternative is the Mopar Intrepid, and I've not seen any of those in long-distance cruiser duty.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.