| Melissa, TexasA
PO1 traveling northbound in a government car decided to pass another
vehicle on the right shoulder. He was OK until he tried to re-enter the
paved highway. His car fishtailed, and he lost control, skidding sideways
into oncoming traffic.
The other vehicle (traveling at a high rate of speed) hit the passenger
side of the government car at a 90-degree angle, killing the PO1. The
driver and his wife in the other vehicle were airlifted to a hospital for
medical treatment.
Redding, Calif.A PO3 and his fiancee (an unlicensed driver)
had been traveling for 18 hours, with very few stops, when she lost
control at 70 mph and hit the west guardrail on an interstate highway. The
car then went airborne, flipped several times, and landed on its wheels at
the bottom of a 20-foot embankment.
The PO3 died from a broken neck and major internal injuries. His
fiancee spent one day in a hospital with minor facial cuts and bruises.
She admitted she was driving while fatigued. Police records showed she had
been involved in another at-fault collision.
Smyrna, Del.A seaman and two shipmates were returning from a
family visit in New York when their vehicle hit a utility pole on the
opposite side of the road. The force of the crash embedded the pole 4 feet
into the driver's side of the vehicle, killing the seaman. One of the
shipmates suffered serious injuries. State police estimated the car's
speed at 70 to 75 in a 45-mph zone.
Port Orchard, Wash.Two-and-a-half hours of partying with friends
were enough for a PO2 and a PO3. For one, it would be his last party ever.
After they left the prom, the PO2 lost control of his car in a curve,
crossed the centerline, and struck a van nearly head-on at a high rate of
speed. The PO3, who wasn't wearing a seat belt, was thrown from the car,
and police found him lying in brush near the side of the road. Both
Sailors were flown to a local hospital, where the PO3 was declared dead on
arrival. The PO2 was hospitalized for seven days with broken ribs, a
punctured lung, a bruised spleen, and back injuries. Doctors then put him
on 30 days of convalescent leave. All five people in the van were driven
to a hospital, treated and released.
Toxicology results were negative on both Sailors for drugs and alcohol.
Jacksonville, Fla.It was a typical pool party until some of
the guests saw a self-confessed non-swimmer, a PO3, lying motionless on
the bottom of the pool. The guests pulled him out and started CPR, which
they continued until the paramedics arrived. Their efforts failed, though.
What went wrong? Guests said they had seen him with "a couple of
drinks" during the day, and we all know the dangers of mixing alcohol
with any kind of activity. There also was no certified lifeguard on duty. |
