speedracer
Banned
We have the Houston Transtar network here. What it is is a public-private partnership between the city, county, and tow truck owners. There are cameras on virtually the entire city freeway network that feed into a main control room which is monitored 24/7 by the city. The controllers are looking for accidents and stalls. The tow truck companies are vetted, licensed, and assigned a territory. When control sees a problem, they send out a call on the tow truck driver radio network that all city towers are required to have. The tow guys within the territory have 6 minutes to respond (respond as in be there, not radio that they'll be there). If not, they get a ding on their record and an all call goes out so that the closest tow truck driver from any company can respond. If you are a stalled vehicle on the right shoulder, the tow off the freeway is free (the city pays $80 a pop to the company) and they'll take you 5 miles (I think). If you're on the left shoulder, you get to pay $140 for the tow and you get 5 miles worth but can negotiate from there.
So this morning on the way to work, I witness a 3 car crash. A speeding Lexus changes lanes into a Ford Ranger, pushing the Ranger into the left guard rail. He bounces off and shoots across the freeway, hitting another car lightly before hitting the right side guard rail and coming to rest in the right lane (shit all over the freeway). I'm about 25 yards back and see the whole thing. I hit my e-lights, park behind the Ford, mutter something like God
ing damnit, and call 911. While on the phone, the driver opens the door and pours his poor ass out of the truck. He's got at least a broken leg and is totally out of it. I bark where I am and a quick rundown to 911 and hang up and tell this dude to stay the hell down. It's been about a minute since the accident. He doesn't respond but just kind of lays there against his truck. I ask him if he's ok and he doesn't answer, but his eyes are open and he's kind of looking around so I figure he's just got a concussion. He starts to talk but is mixing English and Spanish together. Lovely.
Cop must have been driving the freeway because he's there less than 3 minutes after the crash. I look around to make sure we're safe and can already see his lights coming towards us. He pulls up and starts talking to the dude and starts asking me questions. The guy pulls himself off the freeway to the guard rail despite us telling him not to. Around the 4 minute mark, the tow shows up. It takes him a minute to hook up because the truck is totaled on the front, but he's got it off the freeway about 7 minutes after it happens. As he's pulling away, the ambulance shows up and the guy gets a ride. I finish my statement to the cops and drive away.
Long story short. Accident happens at 7:15 and is COMPLETELY cleared at 7:26. That's a helluva response on a freeway at rush hour. I'm expecting to be 20 minutes late to work and end up 10 minutes early.
That's how it's done, gentlemen. I just wanted to give kudos and praise em when they deserve it.
So this morning on the way to work, I witness a 3 car crash. A speeding Lexus changes lanes into a Ford Ranger, pushing the Ranger into the left guard rail. He bounces off and shoots across the freeway, hitting another car lightly before hitting the right side guard rail and coming to rest in the right lane (shit all over the freeway). I'm about 25 yards back and see the whole thing. I hit my e-lights, park behind the Ford, mutter something like God
ing damnit, and call 911. While on the phone, the driver opens the door and pours his poor ass out of the truck. He's got at least a broken leg and is totally out of it. I bark where I am and a quick rundown to 911 and hang up and tell this dude to stay the hell down. It's been about a minute since the accident. He doesn't respond but just kind of lays there against his truck. I ask him if he's ok and he doesn't answer, but his eyes are open and he's kind of looking around so I figure he's just got a concussion. He starts to talk but is mixing English and Spanish together. Lovely.Cop must have been driving the freeway because he's there less than 3 minutes after the crash. I look around to make sure we're safe and can already see his lights coming towards us. He pulls up and starts talking to the dude and starts asking me questions. The guy pulls himself off the freeway to the guard rail despite us telling him not to. Around the 4 minute mark, the tow shows up. It takes him a minute to hook up because the truck is totaled on the front, but he's got it off the freeway about 7 minutes after it happens. As he's pulling away, the ambulance shows up and the guy gets a ride. I finish my statement to the cops and drive away.
Long story short. Accident happens at 7:15 and is COMPLETELY cleared at 7:26. That's a helluva response on a freeway at rush hour. I'm expecting to be 20 minutes late to work and end up 10 minutes early.
That's how it's done, gentlemen. I just wanted to give kudos and praise em when they deserve it.