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Seatbelt causes 19 yo death

LightningLightning Member Posts: 945 ✭✭✭✭
edited July 2004 in General Discussion
http://www.bdtonline.com/articles/2004/06/29/news/03crash.txt

Here is a link to the newspaper story although it is incomplete.
I know one of the teens uncle that escaped and he said his nephew told the complete story as follows.
They was going way too fast and wrecked. The driver was wearing a seatbelt but no one else was. No one was injured in the accident. The 3 that wasnt wearing belts got out and the driver couldnt get to the seatbelt release because it was pulled down under the seat and was stretched very tight around him and he couldnt slide from under it. They called 911 from a cell phone for help.The car started burning and they all started trying to get him out to no avail. He said if one of them had of had a knife they could have easily saved him. The 3 sustained burns on hands and arms trying to get him loose while he was screaming in pain. He finally passed out from pain about the time the fire dept arrived. They used a fire ext. and cutting tool to cut the belt and free him. He said by that time the boys bones was showing in his feet and legs from the severity of the burns. He later died in the hospital.
Moral of the story if you wear a seltbelt always carry a cutting tool with you just in case. I know these things are rare but it does happen.

FUNCTION BEFORE STYLE

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    cletus85cletus85 Member Posts: 2,104 ✭✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    Yes, it's unfortunate, however I'm going with the odds and continuing to wear my seatbelt...and I always have a knife, and a gun...so If I'm conscious I should be able to shoot or cut my way out[:D]
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    Rebel_JamesRebel_James Member Posts: 4,746
    edited November -1
    I'm only alive today because I was wearing my seatbelt back in '87.

    And, I always keep a good sharp knife handy!


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    "The Greatest Battle Implement Ever Devised!"
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    referring to the M1 Garand
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    allen griggsallen griggs Member Posts: 35,241 ✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    Sometimes people drown when the car goes into the river when they are trapped by a seatbelt.
    The chance of burning or drowning by being trapped by a seatbelt are one in a million. These two scenarios are more common in Hollywood than in real life.
    I worked thousands of wrecks when I was a Paramedic, and I know what happens whether you do, or do not wear the belt.
    I wouldn't drive to the end of my driveway without my seat belt on.
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    Indy7373Indy7373 Member Posts: 967 ✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    My seatbelt saved my life about 1 1/2 years ago. Drunk ran me off the road head on into a telephone poll.

    Happiness is a warm gun.
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    beantolebeantole Member Posts: 1,086 ✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    I think the best advice is always wear your seat belt and have a sharp knife within close and easy reach. We have people killed here everyday not wearing seat belts
    ejected and killed.

    Bruce
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    salzosalzo Member Posts: 6,396 ✭✭
    edited November -1
    quote:Originally posted by beantole
    I think the best advice is always wear your seat belt and have a sharp knife within close and easy reach. Bruce


    What i it is illegal to have a sharp knife in your car?

    "Waiting tables is what you know, making cheese is what I know-lets stick with what we know!"
    -Jimmy the cheese man
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    ZERODINZERODIN Member Posts: 6,338
    edited November -1
    The seatbelt didn't cause this kid's death - the fire did. Cause and effect are pretty simple, so there's no need to go complicating it like the "guns kill people" crowd does. For any death, there is a single direct cause.

    If you get shot by a criminal, the direct cause of your death was him shooting at you. You can zoom in and blame the bullet for passing through your lungs (or blame your lungs for not working after having a bullet go through them), or you can zoom out and blame society for creating the criminal, but no matter what the direct action that caused your death was a guy shooting at you. Blaming the seat belt for this is like blaming your lungs for your murder.

    Yes, seat belts sometimes contribute to the circumstances around a death, but they are far more often a mitigating factor against you dying. Like most people have agreed: wear your seat belt and keep a knife in the car. But even if you don't have a knife, buckle up. The 19-year-olds whose lives were saved by a seat belt today alone outnumber this kid, but you won't hear about them in the news.
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    salzosalzo Member Posts: 6,396 ✭✭
    edited November -1
    quote:Originally posted by ZERODIN
    The seatbelt didn't cause this kid's death - the fire did. Cause and effect are pretty simple, so there's no need to go complicating it like the "guns kill people" crowd does. For any death, there is a single direct cause.



    Yeah right. And make sure you dont use the "If the person was allowed to arm themselves, they might have been able to fight off the armed attacker, instead of becoming a corpse" argument for right to carry. The fact that they were unable to arm themselves just complicates things. The fact that the attacker was armed is what killed the person.
    Cause and effect are pretty simple. Sheesh.

    "Waiting tables is what you know, making cheese is what I know-lets stick with what we know!"
    -Jimmy the cheese man
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    ZERODINZERODIN Member Posts: 6,338
    edited November -1
    quote:Originally posted by salzo
    quote:Originally posted by ZERODIN
    The seatbelt didn't cause this kid's death - the fire did. Cause and effect are pretty simple, so there's no need to go complicating it like the "guns kill people" crowd does. For any death, there is a single direct cause.


    Yeah right. And make sure you dont use the "If the person was allowed to arm themselves, they might have been able to fight off the armed attacker, instead of becoming a corpse" argument for right to carry. The fact that they were unable to arm themselves just complicates things. The fact that the attacker was armed is what killed the person.
    Cause and effect are pretty simple. Sheesh.

    Yeah, they are. Just because you arming yourself may or may not have been a mitigating factor in that case doesn't mean that you not being armed is the cause of your death. Also, the fact that the attacker was armed is not what killed the person. The fact that the attacker was in fact attacking and was successful in that attack is what killed the person.

    If you think for a minute I'm the slightest bit anti-gun, go read through my previous posts. You'll find gems such as my position that released felons should be allowed to buy machine guns without a background check or waiting period, along with the explanation for why this is a valid position.

    But the immediate and direct cause of you getting shot is that some guy pointed a gun at you and fired. The gun isn't at fault, society isn't at fault, and you probably aren't at fault - the criminal is solely responsible for it. Just like the fire was responsible for this kid's death, even though it would have been easier for him to get out of the fire if the seatbelt weren't stuck.
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    ruger270manruger270man Member Posts: 9,361 ✭✭
    edited November -1
    of course it was a GM.


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    www.awbansunset.com

    "I will no longer debate a liberal because I feel they are beneath contempt. Just communicating with one contaminates a person." - whiteclouder

    "If the existing assault weapons ban expires, I personally do not believe it will make one whit of difference one way or another . . . So if it doesn't pass, it doesn't pass." Tom Diaz, Senior Policy Analyst, Violence Policy Center (VPC)
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    whiteclouderwhiteclouder Member Posts: 10,574 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    So? Sue somebody.

    Clouder..
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