Posted on 02/04/2020 5:43:31 PM PST by Gamecock
COLLETON COUNTY, S.C. (WCBD) – A woman is recovering after her hands were crushed and became trapped while changing a flat tire along I-95 Sunday evening.
According to the Colleton County Fire-Rescue, a 54-year-old Charlotte woman was stopped along I-95 near mile marker 68 after her car experienced a flat tire.
Fire-Rescue officials said the woman was replacing her tire with a spare when the jack slipped, causing the car to fall and crush both of her hands between the tire and the fender.
The woman then used some innovative thinking to call for help.
“She was trapped alone on the side of the dark Interstate, experiencing excruciating pain,” the department said. “Over the next 35 minutes, she was able to slip off one shoe and manipulate her cell. After many attempts, she was able to dial 9-1-1 with her toes and advise them of her predicament.”
Fire-Rescue units were dispatched to the rural stretch of I-95. They used a prybar without success and then deflated the tire to remove the air, however the car just dropped as the tire deflated.
They were eventually able to free one hand using the prybar. Another crew arrived and deployed a Holmatro Hydraulic Spreader to help lift the car, freeing her other hand.
The woman said she had been trapped for about 45 minutes. She suffered severe damage to both hands and all fingers.
Firefighter-Paramedics treated her injuries and administered pain medications, then transported her to the Trauma Center at Trident Hospital in North Charleston.
Reminds me of a tractor story I once heard.
I think I’ll program my phone to recognize one of my toes to unlock.
She don’ need no man.
Amazing story. A woman changing a tire on 95 at night? I’d think twice about doing that. She reminds me of the rock climber who chewed off his arm. She’s spunky.
What is missing from the story is how did she get to her cell phone? Did she put it on the road?
I don’t understand. Wouldn’t a jack get the car up? Did the rescue squad not have a jack?
This was not varsity crew of the fire department.
Hey ladies out there please don’t try to set up a jack on your own
flag down somebody that knows what they’re doing
You can easily get killed that way actually she’s very lucky
Hard to believe they could be that dumb.
Or air lift bags? Our fire departments love a good entrapment and they love their rescue tools and a chance to use them, and they drill, drill, drill.
Or air lift bags? Our fire departments love a good entrapment and they love their rescue tools and a chance to use them, and they drill, drill, drill.
The first cops there...couldn’t make the jack work???
Could you rephrase that? Ladies who don’t know where to set the jack, and chock the wheels, put it in park, set the brake, on level ground, please ask for help?
Although I have changed tires in my driveway, and even shown a couple guys where those notches on the frame are, and how you loosen the nuts before you start to jack, here’s a grateful
Thank you to the men who have stopped every single time I’ve had a flat on the road and done the dirty work, especially when I was pregnant with a toddler on an elevated highway with no shoulder.
Thank you to the Hispanic men who hardly spoke English who changed a tire for my elderly mother late one night in Newark.
And how about showing the ladies in your life how to change a tire, because flagging down strangers on 95 comes with it’s own risks.
The headline made me think that her hands were between the tire and ground, but From the article:
causing the car to fall and crush both of her hands between the tire and the fender.
I don't quite understand how that worked. It does seem that jacking up the car would have let the tire drop from the fender to release her hands.
The car probably started rolling when she lifted the flat tire off the asphalt with the jack. I bet she had done nothing to stop the car from rolling.
My dad wouldn’t let any of his six daughters drive until they could demonstrate to him the ability to change a tire. He didn’t want them to flag someone down because you never know who they might be. One of the things he always stressed was to never put your hands on top of the tire. If the jack slipped, you would be trapped. Too bad this woman never learned how to properly change a tire.
Back in the day before cell phones, that was a good policy. Now, I don’t want any of my kids changing tires on the highway. That’s why we have AAA. If it isn’t safe to change the tire in its current location, they can tow the car to where it is safe. It is not worth losing your life over.
My husband and I had a flat in an RV once. Rear dual inside tire. Cars were whipping by at 80mph. I was absolutely against him changing the tire there and so was our very concerned young son. My husband considered it, but not very strongly. We drove slowly to the next exit and into a gas station parking lot. Even if the rim had gotten damaged, it would have been worth the cost.
This is just a sickening story.
Aside from AAA, car insurance policies have roadside assistance.
I am not that great at changing tires, but I’ve always been very cognizant of at least being out of the way if the jack slips.
Lol, we don’t call AAA or 911.
I am not sure why you are LOL? Being smacked by a semi on Hwy 44 at night in the rain because you’ve got to get your macho on doesn’t sound amusing to me.
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