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| July 2001 | |||||||
click link to view picture from the scene July 3, 2001 - 10:05pm - Unit #65 was driving west on I-44 approaching Highway 141 when he noticed a car on the shoulder with a woman standing behind it trying to flag down cars. He couldn't stop in time so he radioed to unit 220 about the vehicle. 220 stopped behind the vehicle while 65 drove on to turn around at the next exit. 220 discovered that the elderly lady had a flat tire on the left side of the car so he started to change the tire for her. 65 pulled up behind 220 a few minutes later and waved traffic out of the right lane while 220 finished changing the tire. She thanked 220 for stopping to help. July 3, 2001 - 10:20pm - Unit #65 and unit #220 pulled up behind two young ladies on a deserted part of Lewis Road over I-44. The driver told 65 there was a problem with the transmission and she needed a tow truck. 220 gave her a list of tow company phone numbers. As he was doing this, a white pickup truck drove past with two males inside. The female driver told 220 that was the fourth or fifth time that truck has driven past and she was becoming nervous since she was broke down in a deserted area. She called for a tow truck and then called the St. Louis County Police to come to the scene. 65 and 220 remained behind her until the officer arrived (incase the pickup returned). The officer arrived about fifteen minutes later and 220 explained the situation to him. The officer asked 65 and 220 who they were with. They explained to the officer what REACT is and what they do. They gave the officer their cards and he thanked them for remaining with the motorist until he arrived. He told them they could leave and he would stay with the car. July 6, 2001 - 10:30pm - Unit #65 and unit #220 assisted a motorist on the shoulder of eastbound I-44 just west of I-270. The driver told 65 he had transmission trouble and his brother was on the way to tow the car. 65 remained behind him while 220 drove on to check the interstate. A few minutes later, a Missouri State Trooper stopped behind 65. 65 told him the driver had help on the way. The Trooper asked 65 if he was going to stay with the driver until his help arrived. 65 said sure and the Trooper left. 220 returned to the scene later and about 45 minutes later, his brother arrived to tow the vehicle. July 6, 2001 - 11:40pm - Unit #65 and unit #220 were driving west on I-44 approaching Highway 141 when they saw a vehicle accident on northbound Highway 141 just south of I-44. They exited onto Highway 141 and turned south. They saw three cars blocking the left lane so 65 turned on his lights, turned around at the next intersection, and stopped behind the cars involved. 220 also turned around and stopped further behind 65. 65 checked on the people involved and found there were no injuries. A teenager told 65 he wasn't paying attention and hit the car in front of him, which hit the car in front of it. Within thirty seconds, a St. Louis County Police Car pulled up infront of 65's car. A minute later, another police car stopped behind 65's car. 220 was the furthest vehicle back so he put out cones and directed traffic while the officers gathered information for their report. 20 minutes later, the officer told 65 he and 220 could leave and he thanked them for helping. July 7, 2001 - 12:15am - Unit #220 assisted a stranded motorist with engine trouble on I-270 north of Dougherty Ferry Rd. AAA was already called so 220 decided to stay behind the vehicle with his lights on until the tow truck arrived. July 9, 2001 - 9:30pm - Unit #02 and unit #65 assisted a motorist with a flat tire on northbound I-270 just south of Highway 21 just over the top of a hill. The flat tire was on the left side of the truck and the motorist was forced to stand on the white line to change it so 65 put out a flare on the white line and 02 waved cars out of the right lane while the motorist changed the tire. 65 shined his flashlight on the motorist so the passing drivers could see him. A few minutes later, unit 220 arrived on the scene and positioned his truck further back with his lights on at the top of the hill to slow down the traffic. Twenty minutes later, the driver finished and thanked 65 and 02 for helping. July 11, 2001 - 2:30pm - Unit #02 was merging onto westbound I-44 at Bowles Ave. when he discovered three cars on the shoulder. Car one was abandend, car two had help on the way, and car three was occupied by an elderly woman and her son who was a Baptist minister. Since the temperature was 100 degrees, 02 took them to the Burger King at I-44 and Highway 141 to cool down. He then took the minister to get some gas and parts and took him back to the car to see if they could get it going. When that failed, 02 drove him back to Burger King to wait with his mother until help could arrive. July 13, 2001 - 4:30pm - Unit #77 received an emergency call over FRS channel 1 from a motorist broke down on southbound I-55 at Bates Road. 77 called the St. Louis City Police and they responded to help the motorist. July 13, 2001 - 5:00pm - Unit #220 assisted a stranded motorist in a stalled car on Clarkson Rd at Baxter Rd. 220 blocked traffic with his vehicle and pushed the woman's car off to the shoulder. She refused further help so 220 left the scene and the woman proceeded to walk to the gas station up the street. July 14, 2001 - 9:10pm - Unit #02 and unit #65 were on southbound I-270 just north of Highway 30 in Sunset Hills when they saw flashers from a car about one mile ahead of them. As they got closer, they saw that the shoulder was narrow where the car was and it was partially blocking the right lane. 02 and 65 stopped behind the car with their lights on. 02 walked up to the vehicle and discovered that no one was in it. 02 remained with the vehicle while 65 drove up the off ramp onto Highway 30 to look for the driver. 65 then checked the pay phones at a nearby commuter lot but still couldn't find anyone. He radioed to 02 to go ahead and leave the vehicle. About 30 seconds later, a Sunset Hills Police Car stopped behind the car. July 14, 2001 - 10:25pm - Unit #02, 65, and 220 stopped to check on a car with its flashers on Lewis Road directly over I-44. 02 walked up to the car and discovered a woman upset and almost in tears. He asked her what was wrong and she explained to him that she needed to get to Six Flags to pick up her son at 10:30pm but she was lost. 02 gave her directions to Six Flags and she thanked him for his help. July 15, 2001 - 5:50pm - Unit #65 assisted a tow truck driver on the off ramp from southbound I-270 onto Highway 30. The tow truck driver was forced to stand in the right lane to hook up the car so 65 remained behind him with his lights on to warn approaching traffic. He finished securing the car a few minutes later and waved a thank you to 65. July 15, 2001 - 6:05pm - Unit #65 stopped to assist some ladies on the shoulder of westbound Highway 30 just east of Highway 141. 65 talked to the driver and she explained to him that she and her friend had just come back to the car and installed a new battery but it still wouldn't start. As they were talking, another car stopped behind 65's car. It was unit #53, who was driving east on 30 and was unaware 65 was there until he saw the lights. 53 and 65 took a look at the battery and discovered the ladies had the battery cables reversed. They put the cables on the right way and she was then able to start the car. She thanked 53 and 65 for stopping. July 18, 2001 - 8:50am - Unit #220 assisted Des Peres Police with a two vehicle accident on I-270 at Manchester Rd. 220 helped the police with traffic control until the scene was cleared. Luckily, nobody was seriously hurt. July 20, 2001 - 9:30pm - Unit #02 and unit #65 were exiting northbound I-270 onto eastbound Watson Road when a truck in front of them pulled over to the right and stopped partially blocking the right lane. 02 stopped on the shoulder behind behind the truck and walked up to talk to the driver to find out what the problem was. 65 stopped in the right lane with his lights on and blocked it to shield 02. The driver told 02 he was out of gas but he had a container of gas with him. He filled the gas tank while 02 and 65 remained behind him and waved traffic out of the right lane. A few minutes later, he was on his way. July 20, 2001 - 9:40pm - Unit #02, #65, and #220 assisted a stranded motorist on the shoulder of westbound I-44 just west of I-270. The driver told 02 he needed a tow truck so 65 provided him with a list of tow company phone numbers. 02 let the driver use his cell phone to call for the tow truck. While this was happening, 220 remained further back on the shoulder to slow traffic. The tow truck arrived about five minutes later and removed the car. July 20, 2001 - 10:05pm - Unit #65 was on northbound Bowles Ave. approaching I-44 when he noticed a SUV in the intersection facing southbound with no headlights on, just the flashers. 65 drove through the intersection and turned around on the bridge. He saw the driver of the SUV pushing it down Bowles nearing a QT gas station. 65 radioed to unit 02, who was in the gas station, and told him about the vehicle heading his way. 02 ran to his car and started to drive to the exit. He arrived at the exit of the lot just as the SUV stopped at the entrance to the gas station, blocking it. 65 stopped behind the SUV with his lights on. 65 and 02 helped the driver push the vehicle to a gas pump, so the driver could fill the tank. 65 then ran back to his car to get it out of the driveway. The SUV driver thanked 65 and 02 for helping and told them he though he ran out of gas. 02 went back in the QT station where the manager of the station remarked "Having a busy night, huh". July 20, 2001 - 11:10pm - Unit #02 returned to the same QT station in the above report and found the SUV driver was still there having engine trouble. 02 radioed to 65 and asked him to return to the gas station. 65 arrived a minute later and 02 told him the motorist needed a jump start. 65 hooked up his jumper pack to the battery and it started on the first try. The driver thanked 65 and 02 and left the station to go buy a new battery. July 20, 2001 - 11:50pm - Unit #02 and #65 stopped to assist a motorist on the shoulder of southbound I-270 just south of Highway 30. The driver told 02 he was out of gas but had help on the way. 02 and 65 remained behind him until his help arrived with some gas. 02 and 65 left the scene after his friend poured the gas in the tank and then drove away. They noticed that the car was still on the shoulder so they turned around at the next exit and came back to it. The driver asked 02 if he could put another gallon of gas in the tank. 02 poured his gallon in and the motorist was able to start the engine. The driver was from Texas and wanted to know where the nearest gas station was. 65 gave him directions to it. He thanked 02 and 65 for coming back to help him again. July 24, 2001 - 8:40pm - Unit #65 assisted a motorist on the inside shoulder of eastbound I-44 just east of Highway 141. The driver told 65 his father was on the way so 65 remained behind them since they were in a dangerous location. While waiting, 65 radioed to unit 220 to come to the scene and assist. His father arrived in a van and stopped on the right shoulder. He then ran across the five lane Interstate (not a smart thing to do) to the truck. The father got the truck started and drove away, leaving the teens in the middle of the Interstate. The teens then ran across the Interstate (again, not a smart thing to do) to get to the van on the right shoulder. 65 waited for a long break in the traffic and then drove over to the right shoulder. 220 arrived and pulled up behind 65. The father came running down the shoulder back to the van and told 65 he drove the truck to the top of the hill and parked it on the shoulder but he wanted to get it off the highway at the next exit. 65 told him that he and 220 would follow him down the shoulder as he drove the truck to the next exit. They followed the van to the truck and followed the truck on the shoulder with their lights on until they reached Bowles Ave. July 29, 2001 - 11:00am - Unit #220 and unit #65 (with 02 riding along) were on their way to the Missouri State REACT Council meeting when they came upon an accident on westbound I-44 two miles east of Highway 50. The Missouri Highway Patrol had one lane closed and were moving the vehicles onto the shoulder when 220 and 65 arrived. 220 and 65 stopped behind the first tow truck because he didn't have a State Patrol Car behind him. 220 and 65 then stayed behind the tow truck until he finished hooking up the car. July 29, 2001 - 12:50pm - Unit #220 and unit #65 (with 02 riding along) stopped to assist a stranded motorist on westbound I-44 at mile marker 154 near Waynesville, MO. The driver of the pick up told 220 he needed a jump start. The driver's friend pulled over on the service road next to the Interstate to help him. 02 brought up 65's jumper pack to the truck and hooked it up. The truck still wouldn't start after three attempts and it sounded like the battery was not the problem. The driver and his friend told 220 they were going to call for a tow truck and thanked them for trying to help. 220, 65, and 02 then left the scene so they could get to the REACT state meeting.
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| Site created November 27, 1999 and maintained by Tri-County REACT | |||||||