ncaudio: If she'd been in a CJ, with all those hard surfaces around her, I doubt she'd be alive.
I was impressed with how the Patriots passenger compartment held up. The roof was compressed more on the passenger side, as I think that was where it first landed, but with all the tumbling and bouncing, both driver's side windows weren't even broken. All the rear windows were shattered, which was why I checked the surrounding area for any occupants that might have been ejected.
The rate it was rolling was very fast, and debris was flying everywhere. That reminds me, I need to check out my car to see if any of it hit me.
The driver airbag had deployed, but I didn't notice if it had any side airbags. Even so, the crash lasted long enough that the bags would have deflated before it stopped rolling.
This is the second rollover I've witnessed on the street.
The first one was almost 40 years ago, and I remember it clearly.
When I was about 15 I was with my Dad when a white 1968 Mustang Coupe rounded a sharp turn coming toward us in a 25mph zone. The rear swung out and the Mustang veered left and hit the guardrail on the inside of the turn. The speed was so slow I was expecting it to bump the rail and stop. Instead, the left front bumper climbed up the guardrail and the car rolled one and a half times, ending upside down.
When we pulled up, two teenage girls were crawling out the passengers door.
Neither one was wearing a seat belt, none of us did in those days.
The driver was fine but the passenger was complaining of back pain. We got her to lie still on the shoulder and Dad went and called for an ambulance. The driver was crying and told me she didn't have a license, and had snuck her mom's car out to go pick up her friend. She also said she was already on probation, and asked if I thought the car was totaled. I told her she had bigger things to worry about than the car.
Funny how some memories stick with you so vividly.
