Emergencies happen anywhere, anytime, and sometimes medical professionals find themselves in situations where they are the only ones who can help. Is There a Doctor in the House? is a Medscape series telling these stories.
I was driving home after a night shift in the ED. Morning rush hour in Phoenix. I was super tired, and that's usually when I become more aware of what's going on around me. Coming down Route 143 by the airport, I saw a cloud of smoke. Not like fire smoke. It was more like dust rising in the air. I thought, It must be construction.
Sure enough, as I got closer, I could see a cement truck. But it was turned on its side. And that's when I realized: Accident.
It had only just happened. And there was no EMS there. I instantly knew I had to stop.
The truck was on the other side of the freeway lying against a retaining wall, part of an on-ramp from another freeway. So, I pulled over into the gore point on my side (that triangular stretch between a main road and exit ramp).
I grabbed some gloves and my phone and got out. And then I was facing two lanes of speeding traffic.
