Strangers rescue trapped mail carrier

By Carol Pelosi, editor

It’s not a good thing when you look up to see a sideways small mail truck flying through the air in front of your car.

We were driving on Durham Road next to Paschal Golf Course early Saturday afternoon on our way to Patty Ray’s funeral when the mail truck flew in front of the car ahead of us. He stopped, we stopped, and my husband, John, and son Randy popped out of the car and headed back to the truck as did the driver ahead of us.

John, Randy, Cam McCamy and two other men succeeded in tipping the truck off its side and onto its wheels and found the woman mail carrier had been thrown out of the truck and trapped underneath. Other strangers stopped to help.

She said she needed water so John came back to get a water bottle and said to call 911. That is when we realized we had left our phones at home. He trotted back to the truck and called to Lisa McCamy. He told her to call 911.

The question then became, where are the first responders? Lisa was calling but she was encountering problems.

This is what Lisa recalled in an email. “I was in the car looking for water.

I saw John coming back from your car with water bottle and was motioning to him with phone in hand if I should call 911 — he was saying at the same time someone needs to call 911— all happening me inside car — him walking past — doors closed— windows closed.

I dialed 911 — when it connected it was on my speaker and person (female) was saying she could not understand me — so I took off speaker but she was still not getting everything I was saying — seems like she asked me my location a million times — I said HWY 98 going out of Wake Forest near golf course going toward Capital (realize now that could have been confusing with By-Pass).

It seemed like she was either not answering or the signal was breaking  up— that happened a few times — at some point I decided to end the call — and called 911 again immediately.

It rang for a long time and I was beginning to feel frantic — did not understand why I could not get through to someone. Someone (male) answered and it was Franklin County dispatch (which seemed odd—Franklin County that is). Went through all the same questions — location — where are you — but then he said I need to transfer you to Wake Forest? or maybe Wake County?  I think it was Wake County — so silence for a time — then new person (female). Franklin County dispatcher connected call and gave Wake County dispatcher location info — basic details I had given him while I was on the line  — the reason I think it was Wake County is she was not familiar with area — by that time I noticed the Miller’s mailbox so was using their address and Durham Road — I must have said Tyler Run — because she asked me if I was IN Tyler Run— I said no and repeated address — getting really frantic at this point because still not hearing sirens — she asked all the questions she is supposed to ask — Cam says they are trying to keep you on the line and typing — so some of the questions I had already answered at the beginning of the call —

Such as — female, pinned under car, car lifted off her by men on the scene — arm bleeding badly — tourniquet applied with shirt —

But she’s asking me questions like was anyone thrown from the vehicle — how many were in the vehicle —

Person Conscious? Etc..

She did encourage everyone helping to stay safely away from the road/traffic. Finally heard sirens.

She disconnected line once they had arrived.

I looked back at call details in my phone — it was not as long as it seemed at the time — First Call 12:53pm – lasted one minute

Second Call 12:54pm- lasted six minutes —

Seemed an eternity.”

I remained in the car because I was using a cane and estimated it was 10 to 12 minutes before a fire truck pulled up next to our car and a police car arrived in the other lane immediately afterward. I never saw the EMS truck.

Tuesday I spoke with Wake Forest Police Chief on the phone and went to the Wake Forest Fire Department Station #1 to talk with Chief Ron Early and Assistant Chief Daryl Cash, who is familiar with local communications.

They said that the area where the accident occurred is in a cell phone dead or low service area. “I always lose calls when I drive down there toward the creek,” Early said. Leonard said there are small dead zones all over town

Cash said cell towers have circular service areas and a Franklin County cell tower can pick up calls if the phone is pointed in that direction.

Wake Forest Fire first responders were at the scene within three minutes of being dispatched, Early said.

All the questions Lisa was being asked by the 911 operator? Cash said they are the set protocols 911 operators must ask to help determine where the accident is, how many people are involved and what their conditions are and all other relevant information to send the right responders.

Randy went to the Wake Forest Post Office with a gift, a deck of cards because he had learned the injured woman might miss a planned trip to Las Vegas, and a card. He spoke to the clerks and was told her gash was so deep it cut into bone. Doctors had to take some bone from one of her thighs to make the repair, but she will regain full use of her arm.

You can take get well cards and gifts to the post office. Her fellow carriers will deliver them.