'I can't believe he survived that'

Paul Eddy, 33, of Norfolk, Va., survived a fiery car crash on Thanksgiving morning, Nov. 25 when he apparently knocked his car into gear while sleeping at the Franklin Cliffs Overlook on the Skyline Drive. The car went over the cliff at the overlook and fell 150-200 feet, bursting into flames with Eddy inside. A Page County Sheriff’s deputy saw the flames from the valley below at about 6:30 a.m. and alerted Shenandoah National Park rangers and the Stanley Volunteer Fire Department. A passerby found Eddy on the drive after Eddy escaped the burning car and climbed the cliff, according to Stanley Fire Chief Terry Pettit. Eddy was airlifted by Pegasus helicopter to the University of Virginia in serious condition with chest injuries and lacerations. His status is not known. Pettit said he’s never seen someone survive such a fall. “I don’t see how he survived that,” he said.

Staff photos by John Collins | Page News and Courier | Nov. 2, 2004

We were just getting up on Thanksgiving morning when the fire department was toned for a "mountain fire." (To which I thought, 'Huh. A volcano?!') The dispatcher didn't have a precise location, just that the caller saw flames on the mountain. Almost immediately, volunteers responding from the nearest town (several miles away) reported seeing the fire and a glow in the pre-dawn sky.

I decided to respond, thinking that if nobody knew where the fire was but almost everyone could see it, it must be a real fire. Several minutes of confusion followed as units went several ways to find the fire on the mountain. Dispatch reported numerous calls about the fire, which is a sure sign of a real job.

Before I even left the house, I began to think a plane had flown into the mountain. With that in mind, I grabbed my North Face backpack, some flashlights, a knife, and my GPS in addition to two camera bags, jackets, etc. Eventually, the firefighters began thinking the same thing. The weather was windy, with ever-changing cloud cover around the mountains. And with about an inch of rain during the overnight, a forest fire was very unlikely.

Finally, the fire department found the fire--caused by the crash mentioned above. As I drove in the valley below, I saw the flashing lights of the firetruck on the scene miles away. I snapped a few basically useless shots with my telephoto lens before continuing on. (Studying the photos on the computer later, I think I see the flames from the burning car.) I reached the scene several minutes later. It was probably 2500 feet or more higher in elevation than our house. And with strong winds whipping over the ridge, I was glad for each layer of clothing I'd brought as I held my hat on my head to keep it from blowing away.

The scene was kind of surreal. The sun was rising behind us, illuminating the far side of the valley below. The previous night's rain left the pavement at the overlook wet, adding a Hollywood-style feel to the setting. It was perfect scene for the fire department's big Freightliner engine--just like a commercial, especially when the early sun flooded a mountain peak behind the driver's side of the truck.

As I walked to the cliff, the chief looked over at me. He kind of did a doubletake when he saw me.

"Well, hey, John," he said.

He knows me from previous fires and accidents, but I guess that he wasn't expecting to see me at this one.

I left the scene after snapping photos on two cameras and talking briefly to a few firefighters and a ranger. Meanwhile, Darla was at home prepping the turkey and getting it on the grill in my absence. I felt bad to leave her to do that, but she was gracious about it.

The ride back was so peaceful. There was hardly any traffic, and deer were everywhere. I must have seen 24-36 deer in my 30-minute drive back. The scenery was breathtaking. Pushing the reason for my trip to the back of my mind, the drive back made a wonderful start to my Thanksgiving day. I guess I wasn't the only one with something to be thankful for that morning.

Posted by JRC at December 3, 2004 04:54 PM | TrackBack