Date: Thu, 7 May 2009 00:37:17 -0400
From: Mark Stinson
Subject: we need answers
These are the facts as they were presented to me of this incident from bystanders at the scene. At approximately 7pm Wednesday evening a call went out for law enforcement to respond to an accident in front of Big Bear store in Bear Creek. A driver turned in front of an oncoming full-sized pickup truck where the resulting collision ejected her from her small truck with the larger pickup coming to rest in the pasture in front of the store. I arrived at Big Bear at 8:14 to a crowd of 50 plus vehicles of bystanders , ems , first responders and witness’s to the accident. I was informed that the lady from the smaller truck was already en route to the hospital. There was a number of people making comments about the wreck but the one obvious comment was the fact they couldn’t clean up the accident until law enforcement arrived. It had been stated that it had been one hour and ten minutes since someone at the store called the wreck in and no sheriff or highway patrol had arrived at the scene. A good number of people were upset from the unreasonable delay in law enforcement to show up. I listened as several of the spectators as they discussed the delay and some were getting a bit miffed. It was getting dark and valuable evidence from the wreck would soon be lost after dark with rain coming. Witnesses would be lost and information regarding the wreck wouldn’t be fresh on peoples minds. I heard one complain with a statements like ( if figured since this part of Chatham aint filled with rich folk so we don’t get the law when we need them ) In all fairness to the sheriffs department and highway patrol I wondered what in the Sam hill was the problem because every time I have made a call for help they got here in a very timely manner especially for an auto accident. I just listened to complaints and peoples opinions that we don’t matter much around here. I could understand a delay if it was just a minor incident but this was serious as two vehicles were totaled and a woman ejected out of her vehicle to be seriously injured and still no show ? There was time for the first responders to arrive ,, secure the accident scene , stabilize the patient , get her in an ambulance and clear her from the scene completely so that I didn’t even pass the ambulance as I traveled toward the store before I arrived and still no law ? I left traveling up NC 902 and never once passed any type of patrol car. I didn’t hear of any thing else going on that would cause such a delay and there are many who would love to have an answer why it took so long to respond to an accident like this. I have to give credit to the people that responded so quickly that got the victims stabilized and medical help. I’m really curious as to why such a delay in response time by either a deputy or highway patrol officer took place. One person wondered if there had even been an officer dispatched. We simply didn’t know and I would like some kind of answer. I am in no way being critical of our law enforcement ,, I’m just asking ,, does anyone know what happened to cause such a delay in response time. I think its a legitimate question for any resident to ask don’t you ? I may not have all the facts but even in this remote part of the county a 20 to 25 minute time span till a deputy arrives is rare. They always get to wrecks in less than 15 minutes from the time its called in . I can safely drive the speed limit from Big Bear to Siler up 421 then 64 to Pittsboro in 35 minutes and the witness’s were all saying it had been an hour since it was called in ,, what happened ?