similar to what i saw (no one was hurt in this one either.)

and this is why i HATE I-690 in syracuse:

in addition to having my own b.s. accident over a year ago on this god-forsaken, overcrowded, cramped, racetrack-of-a-highway, i came across another accident in progress wednesday. a car headed in the opposite direction (west) hit the concrete highway divider several times and flipped onto it's roof, sending shrapnel over the divider into my eastbound lane. this wreck was clearly the biggest opportunity i've ever had to put my EMT training to use, so i darted thru three lanes of rush-hour traffic (stupid move) and jumped the divider, fully expecting to see blood and gore and not having a clue what the hell to do about it. luckily, as i approached the car, a petite woman crawled out of her wadded-up buick, luckily and amazingly without a scratch. the roof was flattened and there was broken glass, car parts, hubcaps, and shit everywhere. if she'd been any bigger, she would have been hurt. meanwhile, traffic was still flying by, inches away from the scene. not that there was any way to avoid that, since there's no median, no shoulder, and nothing but inches between each car.

ok, maybe i'm just not used to this type of road, since i'm a hillbilly who was raised in the sticks. but seriously, if the speed limit was just a little lower, these things might not happen.

this was the same situation for me when i rear-ended a stopped car in the passing lane back in september of 2002. only did the stopped car have nowhere to go, but neither did i, and neither did the traffic behind us. it was during a huge-ass rainstorm and heavy traffic, and i was nearly rear-ended myself about half a dozen times. i was contemplating whether or not i should 1. stay in my truck and wait to get hit, or 2. jump off the barrier to die in the ghetto below. (did i mention this is an elevated highway in downtown syracuse?) and did i mention the occupants of the other vehicle fled the scene before the syracuse police arrived, and the police didn't do anything at ALL?

if it had been a state trooper on the scene, i bet things woulda been different. but that's neither here nor there.

at any rate, all this talk makes me really want to get into the academy. wish me luck.

----------

*
R.I.P., sharkie.

my little bala shark didn't make it. he's been ill, and passed away a few days back. too much booze and smokes, i tried to tell him. but he drank like a fish, and things caught up with him. he spent his last hours swimming erratically around the tank until he finally took that eternal rest--in his favorite place--the hollow log. to make things worse, i left him behind to go party at the frat house with several scantily-clad coeds. ah, but he would have wanted it that way. from one bachelor to another, sharkie, you were the MAN. at least i still have his other sharkmates--sharkdaddy, sharkie #2, and sharkie #3. and of course, all the other fishies.

all drains lead to the ocean, buddy! *sniff*

*not sharkie. photo is a representative the breed. imagine a leaner, meaner, scruffier fish (read: "bad ass")

----------

thanks to all 2.3 daily readers who put up with my endless bitching on the blarf. all i do is complain; thanks for sticking with me. and leave some comments!