Free Republic
Browse · Search
General/Chat
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

Trooper: Witnesses Were Amazed I Emerged From Wreck
The Indy Channel ^ | 9/6/06

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.


TOPICS: Local News
KEYWORDS: angels; indiana; leo; survived; trooper; wreck
Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-2021-4041-60 last
To: alfa6
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.

Based on a 2005 story I found through Google I would say that's right.

41 posted on 09/06/2006 7:16:27 PM PDT by Moonman62 (The issue of whether cheap labor makes America great should have been settled by the Civil War.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 38 | View Replies]

To: TWohlford

I recently saw an NYS Crown Vic that had a blow out at 90mph. The front end of the car no longer existed but the trooper walked away. I like my cars big and heavy.


42 posted on 09/06/2006 7:16:53 PM PDT by appeal2
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 28 | View Replies]

To: CrazyIvan

Then if you drive, you know what a fluster cluck these pull overs are. Why do you supposed that truck is jack knifed?

If it happenned like the story states, the front end of that truck would be gone, and so would the cop...


43 posted on 09/06/2006 7:21:21 PM PDT by sit-rep ( http://trulineint.com/latestposts.asp)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 40 | View Replies]

To: TimesDomain

What the...??? There is a SKULL on the dash of that truck!!!


44 posted on 09/06/2006 7:37:57 PM PDT by BradyLS (DO NOT FEED THE BEARS!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 16 | View Replies]

To: cyborg

It may be that not every state has the law. They should. Not just to avoid hitting policemen but citizens and EMT, too. I always move over if I can. I certainly slow down, even though folks call slowing down "rubber-necking."


45 posted on 09/06/2006 7:41:05 PM PDT by BradyLS (DO NOT FEED THE BEARS!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 26 | View Replies]

To: Samwise
Let me run this scenario by you, and the others may read and comment as well.

Let's say traffic is rolling along at 65-70. Everyone sees the cop on the side accept a few tail gating four wheelers, and starts moving over. This copper color rig has his turn signal on, and is awaiting his chance to merge left to give the traffic stop it required space.

Just then, one of the impatient tailgating four wheelers whip out in front of the copper color rig missing the rigs bumper by mere inches. Then, the four wheeler sees the disco lights and lays on the brakes, causing the rig to have to slam his on to avoid hitting the four wheeler who just did something incredibly stupid. In locking up the brakes like he did, the rig jack knifes and slides off the road and hits the police car.

Possible?

The reason I ask, this is not a case of some truck plowing into the back of a cop car like the article suggests, and readers bought into here. This rig clearly hits the squad car in a jack knifed position... ...I drove long enough to know that it takes a little bit of a distance to place that rig, jack knifed in the position it is in....notice the front tires are barely in the driving lane...

46 posted on 09/06/2006 7:41:36 PM PDT by sit-rep ( http://trulineint.com/latestposts.asp)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: sit-rep

I think that's the first truck. The 2nd truck slammed into the police car shoving it under the first truck while also knocking the first truck sideways.

God apparently has plans for that trooper here.


47 posted on 09/06/2006 7:41:56 PM PDT by Valpal1 (Big Media is like Barney Fife with a gun.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 43 | View Replies]

To: Thebaddog

When I worked the south Seattle freeway in the 80s, truck drivers would try and get as close to us as possible to blow off our smokey bear hats. They called it "dusting" a bear. It was a nationwide activity, and I recall a lieutenant back east getting killed by a truck driver trying to "dust" him.
Or the driver fell asleep, or he was swerving to avoid a four wheeler that cut him off, or the driver was stoned/drunk, or playing with his radio or computer, ad infinitum ad nauseum.


48 posted on 09/06/2006 7:43:53 PM PDT by Scotsman will be Free
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 8 | View Replies]

To: alfa6

That is a night time occurrence. We called it "mothing into the lights".


49 posted on 09/06/2006 7:45:29 PM PDT by Scotsman will be Free
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 17 | View Replies]

To: Samwise

"I'd call that a miracle."

Sort of along the lines of this one...

http://www.amazon.com/90-Minutes-Heaven-Story-Death/dp/0800759494/sr=1-1/qid=1157597229/ref=pd_bbs_1/104-5269193-0744753?ie=UTF8&s=books

I'm as much a skeptic as anyone has an "out of body" experience...
but the story of how this guy actually lived and is walking today is
pretty amazing.


50 posted on 09/06/2006 7:51:02 PM PDT by VOA
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 5 | View Replies]

To: Valpal1

I can't see it like that . If it happenned the way you say, the front end on the rig is plastic. The Tractor weighs about 10,000 lbs. There would surely be at least a scratch on the rigs bumper...


51 posted on 09/06/2006 7:51:08 PM PDT by sit-rep ( http://trulineint.com/latestposts.asp)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 47 | View Replies]

To: Valpal1
Check this video out...

http://www.ebaumsworld.com/semitrucksandwich.html

52 posted on 09/06/2006 7:53:45 PM PDT by sit-rep ( http://trulineint.com/latestposts.asp)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 47 | View Replies]

To: Scotsman will be Free

I want to try and pit a semi.


53 posted on 09/06/2006 7:59:32 PM PDT by miliantnutcase
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 48 | View Replies]

To: miliantnutcase

Won't work. Trucks are too big to be pitted by a car.


54 posted on 09/06/2006 8:01:10 PM PDT by Scotsman will be Free
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 53 | View Replies]

To: sit-rep

You're right that's the 2nd truck and in the slide show you can see some damage to the truck bumper, but amazingly dang little.

He had to have already been in a slide when he hit and only clipped the front right bumper and the side of the cab.


55 posted on 09/06/2006 8:05:23 PM PDT by Valpal1 (Big Media is like Barney Fife with a gun.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 52 | View Replies]

To: sit-rep

**This rig clearly hits the squad car in a jack knifed position...**

I think you are right. The front of the average big rig is designed display lights, push air, and not much more. Weight is the issue in their construction. The lighter the truck, the more payload they can legally haul. The KW T600 in the pic is completely intact in front.

It probably slid sidways into the cruiser, pushing it under the trailer of the first rig. Then, momentum took over, the pulled over rig still rolling foward after getting kicked in the rear, away from the car and jack-knifed rig.

And yes, the unwillingness of many fourwheelers to yield to a rig trying to change lanes is a danger that most don't recognize.


56 posted on 09/06/2006 8:19:26 PM PDT by Zuriel (Acts 2:38,39....nearly 2,000 years and still working today!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 46 | View Replies]

To: Rb ver. 2.0

"God is the only explanation..."

You said IT, R.


57 posted on 09/06/2006 8:55:14 PM PDT by butternut_squash_bisque (The recipe's at my FR HomePage. Try it!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 20 | View Replies]

To: BradyLS
What the...??? There is a SKULL on the dash of that truck!!!

Lots of truckers decorate their rigs for holidays. I've seen complete Christmas trees fastened to rigs. Halloween is coming up. Then again, I'm on the road about 2k miles a week and I've seen about everything used to decorate vehicles. Last week saw a wall clock glued to the back of a Volvo!
58 posted on 09/07/2006 5:03:52 AM PDT by CrazyIvan (If you read only one book this year, read "Stolen Valor".)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 44 | View Replies]

To: alfa6

Its a crown victoria made here in st. thomas ontario canada. we received an email thanking our company for such a safe car. the police chief sent it personally saying it's the best cop car out there.


59 posted on 09/15/2006 2:56:06 PM PDT by roggie13
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 11 | View Replies]

To: roggie13

also our cars now come with a fire suspression unit in the rear that puts out the fire if it were to get rear-ended making our car even more indestructable


60 posted on 09/15/2006 3:00:18 PM PDT by roggie13
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 59 | View Replies]


Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-2021-4041-60 last

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.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
General/Chat
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson