Emergency workers carry 21-year-old Sabrina Williamson up an embankment after she crashed on the outer loop of the Athens Perimeter near Commerce Road on Thursday, January 6, 2011 in Athens, Ga. Sabrina Williamson, 21, was traveling west on the Perimeter, between North Avenue and Commerce Road, just before 12:30 p.m. when her car drove off the north shoulder and down an embankment, Athens-Clarke police said.
I had just started editing an assignment after getting into work when a call came over the radio about an accident with the car down an embankment and possibly into a retention pond. Another case of sprinting out of the office at full speed.
This was one of those times when I took every shortcut i could think of to approach the scene fast and from the opposite direction. This is one of those times having one of those federally-mandated yellow highway vests in the car paid positive results.
With this kind of chaotic spot news you need to remember two things: Stay out of everyone's way and park your car so it does not block any emergency vehicles. In this case i left mine on the entrance ramp and ran across the lanes of stopped traffic.
Traffic was stopping on the eastbound side as the westbound/outer loop was completely blocked with emergency vehicles as well as the median strip. The car had not reached the water but was within 20 yards of it. I found a good shooting position and decided to stay long as they extricated the victim. Afterwards as the situation calmed down, I was able to get close to the vehicle and the investigators.
By an absolute miracle, the victim suffered a minor head laceration after running off the road and head-on into a tree at highway speed.
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