This weekend, an event occurred that brought it all home for
me. You may have read about it – a friend of mine lost his life in a car
accident. That, in and of itself, may not be remarkable. Car accidents happen
all the time. In this case, however, the crash was a little more high profile.
At 3:30 pm in the California town of Valencia, financier and
auto enthusiast Roger Rodas and movie star Paul Walker (my friend) were leaving
a charity event in a 2005 Porsche Carrera GT. This is a full on race car
adapted for the street, a 612 horsepower V-10 monster that has motorcycle like
performance. Neither occupant of the vehicle was a stranger to these types of
vehicles; Rodas was a seasoned racer as was Walker, who was also the star of
the automotive themed Fast and Furious
movie franchise.
As they left the charity event, Rodas driving and Walker in
the passenger seat, they began to thrill the crowd with the boyish antics
Walker is known for portraying in his movies. Witnesses say the vehicle sped
away at a high rate of speed. This is a car that can get to 60 miles per hour
in 3.5 seconds, and there was nothing but wide, deserted roads in that quiet
Valencia industrial park.
We don’t know what happened next, but somehow Rodas lost
control of the car (just 300 yards from the charity event), and the Porsche
slammed into a light post first, then a tree. The impact was so violent that it
resembled a plane crash…just bits of
carbon fiber and metal here and there. Both
occupants were killed.
If you think that’s bad, then please listen to me. It gets worse. There is a preparedness
lesson here for all to follow. The Porsche is a mid-engined car, meaning the
engine is located behind the driver. Like most Porsches, the fuel tank is up
front. After the Porsche impacted, no doubt the fuel tank was pierced, dousing
the cabin in gasoline. Onlookers reached the crash site just as the gasoline
ignited; several people report seeing Walker unconscious in the passenger seat. They valiantly struggled to get
his seatbelt off. There may have still been time to save his life.
As the flames grew hotter and the fire grew in fury, the
would-be rescuers were driven back by the heat of the flames. They could do no
more. Neither person would be rescued. Both would be burned beyond recognition to the point where they would have to be
identified by dental records.
There is a tragedy of loss of life here, and I am heartbroken
over it. But I am also angry. You see, no
one had a knife on their person. There was a small window of opportunity to
drag Walker from the burning wreck, but no
one could get his seatbelt off. A simple $15 auto rescue knife with a
seatbelt cutter could have saved this young man’s life. And nobody had one.
Auto rescue tools are no joke, folks. They are so cheap that
everyone should have a knife that has a seatbelt cutter on it. Don’t just buy
it and stick it in a drawer – carry it.
You may not use it to save yourself, but you may use it to save someone else. You see, after a car
accident, your seatbelt absorbs most of the shock, and a heavily strained
seatbelt will often jam and not release. It’s doing its job – don’t fault it.
Still, gasoline fueled vehicles often burst into flames when
the gasoline tank is ruptured. Time is of the essence. You need to be clear of
the vehicle, and you need to be clear now, which can’t happen if your seatbelt
is jammed. Don’t try and fiddle with it. Cut
it off, and do it now.
I know Rodas was driving recklessly. I also know that they
never would have died if they were obeying the speed limit. That’s not the
point – no one deserves to die for a little joyriding – especially when the
deaths could have been preventable with a $15 knife. For God’s sake, please
carry a simple knife with you at all times. In this case, it would have
potentially saved a life.
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