Around 4 am I was sleeping soundly in my bed warm and spooning my dog when I was awoken by a screech and a crash. A very loud crash. Not knowing if I was awake or dreaming I think nothing of it and fall back asleep. I remember thinking, “if I hear sirens, I’ll know it was a car accident.” Well it must have been only seconds before I hear screaming. I live in an old Victorian and you can hear a pin drop a block away, so you get used to hooligans yelling. These were angry screams, not pain screams, so I just think, “that must be the drivers yelling at each other.” I continue to snooze. Finally, I hear sirens in the distance. At this point I’m awake and decide to get up and see if I can see anything out the window. From my living room I see a single police car pulled over and a man being chased by two uniforms. DUI Smackdown! I get dressed to go onto the fire escape for a better viewing of street justice.
Once out on the fire escape I see a red car completely smashed up on the sidewalk. The car was seriously smashed and someone’s arm was dangling lifelessly out of the window. This red car was around the corner from where it appeared the cop had parked. I could only see the reflections of the lights off of a window across the street. The smashed car was completely unattended on the empty street, I assume because the cops were busy pursuing the runner. I wondered if anyone was even aware of this red car.
I decided to go investigate so I run downstairs and outside and over to the red car. At this time a few others from adjacent buildings had come out in their pajamas as well. I approached the demolished car apprehensively, and believe me when I say I will never be able to forget what I saw. There were two people in the red car completely lifeless and injured. Injured is really the wrong word. There was blood everywhere. I couldn’t tell if the person nearest me on the passenger side was a man or a woman. The passenger was clearly dead. The way the body was hunched awkwardly and the extent of the bodily damage made that much clear. I can’t get over how maimed these people were. I believe one was missing and arm but I can’t be sure as it was a genuine stew of gore inside the vehicle. The car was crunched up so badly that the passengers of the car were trapped inside. One of my neighbors threw up right there on the street. I was just too stunned. I was literally staring at the scene right there in front of me and all I can say was “that is definitely a dead person.” I honestly think that after 6 months of performing non-survival pig surgeries and 4 Saw movies later, I’m desensitized to violence and gore.
One of the cops came back and told us to get back. We did as we were told. Other cops arrive. Then the fire trucks. I look up and notice my boyfriend is awake and up on the fire escape. Because you couldn’t see the extent of the HORRIFYING gore from up there he was taking pictures of the smashed cars with his new paparazzi caliber camera he just bought. I motion for him to knock it off. I know that the little boy that lives inside every man’s mind was innocently thinking “Cars! Smashy smashy!!”
Wanting to get out of everyone’s way because at this point there was a block full of emergency vehicles I go back upstairs and join the BF on the fire escape. We sit and watched for what seemed like an eternity as the fire crew used the jaws of life to peel the top of the car off like you peel the top off a can of sardines. Eventually a big van that said “SF Medical Examiner” arrived. I had seen enough and tried to go back to rest in bed until I had to go to work.
I was late to work as all the buses were re-routed around the crash site and red in the news that the crash was caused by the non-red car that I never actually saw running a red light while being pursued in a police chase. Apparently, car 1 was stolen by two 22 year old boys when they broad sided the red car trying to out run the cops. They are both in custody right now. I will be following the case to know what they are charged with. I also learned from the news that one passenger died immediately and the other died after being taken to the hospital. I hope those boy’s parents are proud.
After work just now I took my dog out and joined in a conversation with some neighbors about the accident. Not watching where my dog was wandering (he has a retractable leash) I notice just in time that he is peeing on the wreath memorial and candle someone had put out. I laughed awkwardly and said, “it’s the only way he knows to pay his respects.” I hope the victims had a good sense of humor.
You can read about the accident and see pictures of the cars at www.sfgate.com
