Here is my Thanksgiving Miracle. My wife and 10 year old daughter were coming back from town last evening, about a 40 mile trip, and had some blowing and patchy snow packed roads. Running up a hill, the pickup lost traction and back ended into the ditch, rolling either 1.5 or 2.5 times. I believe it was 1.5 times, but had quite a bit of air time. Both were ejected and daughter apparently was 'dropped' on the slow side of the roll. Wife had a much harsher ride, she went over the top, and had much more speed. She ended up 60 foot away from the pickup... Both got ct scans, wife got a hairline crack in a orbital face bone, and 2 cracked vertebra. Daughter has a little scrape on her bridge of nose and a deep bruise on her shin. About 6 pm last night, I got worried they were not home yet, so I called the grocery store... they said she was there, an hour ago, but said 'rescue' was called out 45 minutes ago. I took off like a shot, I just knew it was them.. About 10 minutes down the road, I got a call from Patrol, wanting to know when I was going to 'get my property' off the highway! I drove past the accident site enroute to the hospital, and it's all I could do to concentrate on the road. (the ford was still on it's top in the ditch) GEEZ, I thought they could've led off with a better opening line! I got to the hospital to find my wife still belted to the back board and neck brace. They 'sent' the pictures to Australia for a specialist to look at. REALLY? no one in USA has that capability? Thanks to our local Fire and Rescue, and all our volunteers across our land! PS, the ford wasn't ours. FIL'S. http://mail.hughes.net/service/home/~/?auth=co&id=5362∂=1 http://mail.hughes.net/service/home/~/?auth=co&id=5367∂=1 http://mail.hughes.net/service/home/~/?auth=co&id=5364∂=1

Glad your family is ok. Thoughts and prayers with everyone.The reason that the xrays were sent there is because there it is daytime, they are not paying OT for a doctor to read them.BTW, I am a paramedic.

Holy crap! I'd be a wreck over something like that. Especially having to pass by the wreck first. Praying they have a speedy recovery! This sounds like one of those moments that wearing a seatbelt may have done worse for them? If they were ejected, that sounds like they were not wearing them?

Good to hear everyone is ok. About a 2 or 3 years ago(I don't remember which but I do remember it was December 17). My mom rolled her jeep we think it was 2.5 times ending on the roof. She called 911 and couldn't get through due to a lot of accidents, called my dad, no luck. Then she called me, It was around 6 and I was getting ready for work. I will never forget that call. I got a hold of dad and jumped in my truck. By the time I got there she was out and getting checked out in one of the trucks. One of fire fighters told me they were heading for another accident down the road when they saw her jeep. He said he jumped out and slipped on the ice, it was slick. She was able to walk away with only bumps and bruises. I use to like winter, but now I really don't like anything about it anymore.

thanks for the thoughts and prayers!no seat belts were worn. Wife needs another day in the hospital... more for observation purposes.Yes, I would've been better to not have seen the accident FIRST

Robert glad to hear you family is well and safe. You'll have to take care of them for a bit.PLEASE! People slow down. There is nothing in this world that requires high rate of speed for. I get teased and picked on for all the slower speeds I run but never in my life have I rolled a vehicle. I've slid off the road "once" and learn from that mistake. About 90% of all vehicle accident I respond to is because of excessive speed for conditions and yes in the state of Idaho you can and will be given a ticket for it. This is a reason why Idaho does not have a minimum speed law so you can travel what ever speed you feel safe at. If the roads are slick and snowy... Slow Down. You cannot get a ticket for travel too slow when road condition poor.Like myself I made it a point to be certified in vehicle extrication for this reason because no matter how much I preach "Slow Down" every go whizzing by me in a hurry. Even when I'm in a Fire Truck I know that with slick roads you got to take it easy and slower. I know that if I don't make it the scene there is now there is two problems me (in a wreck) and now the victim at the scene (in a wreck) most likely not enough resources for both either...So please... "Slow Down" its winter time and road conditions are really get poor up here too.

I was one lucky SOB as a kid with a fast car... These days, I try not to drive fast but smooth. There have been some real tragedies out here. A down the street neighbor boy (then) rolled his Ranger on the highway merge. 7AM on his way to a summer construction job working for a friend of mine. He was ejected & forever more in a wheel chair. He returned to do his senior year of HS, went on to College. Sure is a different life.

Glad to hear all is well Robert. A true miracle they are OK! Puts a new perspective on life when you nearly lose those dearest to you. I was on my way home from work one night when I came across my wife wadded up in a ditch. She too was on her way home from work. Hit head on by a drunk driver in an old Ford pick up. (She was in a Civic). Took EMS an hour to get her out of the car as the engine was shoved back into the passenger seat and the dash had her legs pinned. Broke her legs in several spots, huge laceration from the top of her skull to just above her eye (thank god it didnt go ANY further), and brain trauma. Lots of corrective surgury, plastic surgury, and months of PT afterwards. Worst experience EVER. I can't remember how many times I puked in the ditch that night, but it was alot.

It always amazes me when I talk to people on the phone I hear the same thing over and over. "If I don't do the speed limit they will run me over". In all the time I've been working with Salmon River Rural Fire Dept. I've never been to a vehicle accident where some was driving too slow. But been to plenty of vehicle accidents where they were driving either excessive to the speed limit or excessive for the conditions of the road. Like this morning its 14*F above I'm sure there is black ice out there but as I sit here and look at the window I watching vehicle whizz by at good clip of speed. Another thing I typically end up doing since I'm a senior officer of the fire dept is typically doing the paper work on the accident scene. 99.9% are excessive speed accidents. Like I've shown a few times before.... For me to drive to New Meadows, ID is 20 miles.55 MPH = 0.36 Hours = 21.8 Minutes65 MPH = 0.30 Hours = 18.4 Minutes21.8 - 18.4 = 3.4 Minutes difference...I'd rather be a extra 5-10 minutes get to home than in a accident trying to hurry.

Mike you have to realize the different kinds of roads across the country also, in the plains states we have "Minimum" speed limits "Usually 55-60 mph" on our interstate roads and other divided 4 lanes with 70-75 mph speed limits coming up on someone going too slow is a just as dangerous as going too fast on winding Mt roads. Heck our gravel county and country roads are mostly 50 mph posted.

True... But when the road become icy and slick its best to slow down... That the problem every stuck on must go faster than thinking safer.Idaho state has no minimum law. Here is the local speed limits around me.Residential Speed limit - 15 MPHRural City Speed limit - 25 MPH Rural Roads - 25-35 MPH (Dust and visibility) Forestry Roads 15-25 MPH (Dust and visibility) Larger Cities - 25-35 MPH (Boise / Lewiston)US 95 Highway 45-65 MPHInterstates - 75 MPH (65 MPH Trucks state wide)Right from Idaho ITD...

Yeah can't argue about slowing down in bad weather, we have the worst drivers in bad weather, everyone wants to drive the same speed as they do in good conditions, but the worst in the worst weather and the ones who cause the majority of accidents and don't even know it are the big rig drivers, during blizzards and snow covered roads they blow by folks and snow blind everyone and or just flat force other drivers off the road in conditions when you can not make out where the lanes are and cause many to wind up in the ditch. I have seen this many times and have followed several to get description and or license plate # and call the LEO to report them and where the stranded drivers are in the ditch at to confirm the bad driving.

I agree with you if the road conditions are good there is no reason why you can keep up with travel or being slightly slower maybe 5 MPH isn't going to hurt. But people driving excessive in poor road conditions is insane. As you seen from above its one of Idaho big problems. Another accident that occurred local deputy wife just had a head on collision with another local on a single lane dirt road. Excessive speed for road conditions.The neighbors kid just wrecked his car 2 days ago read ended another vehicle. Excessive speed / tailgating? As for tracking back to the original post and not forgetting the OP here...Rancherman how is the family doing are they home yet?

As for tracking back to the original post and not forgetting the OP here... Rancherman how is the family doing are they home yet?

Agreed and curious at such too.