"You get those lights and sirens going, you almost feel like you're bulletproof ... and you're not,"
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From: gpsman on 7 Apr 2010 11:49 Cop to cadets: Speed, complacency kill By Janice Morse April 6, 2010 SHARONVILLE - "A vehicle can be an officer's most deadly weapon." That's a lesson West Chester police Officer Nicholas Gattermeyer hopes other officers can learn from the high-speed crash that nearly killed him. On Nov. 24, Gattermeyer's cruiser exceeded 100 mph as he headed toward a burglary in progress at a home before he crashed. "The doctors tell me I will never remember what happened that morning, but I can share with you lessons learned about the accident that might save your life," he told a classroom of police cadets Tuesday at the Great Oaks Police Academy on the Scarlet Oaks campus. Gattermeyer has also spoken about his crash to law-enforcement students at the University of Cincinnati and the West Chester Citizens' Police Academy. Photos: Officer Gattermeyers crash http://news.cincinnati.com/apps/pbcs.dll/gallery?Site=AB&Date=20091124&Category=news01&ArtNo=1124002&Ref=PH Gattermeyer hopes his presentations will also help change public misperceptions about police crashes, including his. Citizens seem to assume that the only time police cruisers wreck is during high-speed chases, Gattermeyer said. But statistics he researched show otherwise. The average number of police officers killed in the U.S. each year during pursuits: four. The number fatally shot or stabbed: 53. The number killed in vehicle crashes: 65. "More officers are getting killed in their police vehicles, where they feel safest, than any other time," Gattermeyer said. Gattermeyer, 25, who is now back to full duty on the West Chester force, agrees with Police Chief Erik Niehaus' determination that his speed prior to the November crash was "excessive." Gattermeyer served a four-day unpaid suspension as punishment and says he takes full responsibility for his actions. "Once some people found out how fast I was going, they wanted my head - this guy's an idiot ... how's he a police officer?'" he said. But Gattermeyer says he brushes those things off because, "They don't know who I am. They don't know what I'm about. ... I made a mistake." Gattermeyer told the cadets that excessive speed and complacency were the two main factors that contributed to his crash. "You get those lights and sirens going, you almost feel like you're bulletproof ... and you're not," he said. A cadet who heard the presentation, Lonny Allison of Western Hills, said afterward, "What sticks with me the most is the complacency issue." Gattermeyer says many people who have seen photos of the cruiser are amazed a person was able to survive such a devastating wreck, and he acknowledges that if any one of many factors had been different, he might not be alive today. "The seat belt saved my life. There's no doubt in my mind," he said, noting that 63 percent of people killed in traffic crashes are unbelted. His gun belt and bullet-resistant vest also helped absorb some of the energy of the crash, but his brain still took a pounding inside his skull as the vehicle suddenly stopped after impact with the tree at 76 mph or so. "The midline of my brain was shifted to the right side of my skull," he said, and doctors feared he would never see or walk again. "Imagine your parents or your family members being told that." Despite his injuries, which also included a fractured foot and lower leg, Gattermeyer recovered quickly. He returned to work on "light duty" in January. To avoid a crash, Gattermeyer urged the cadets to evaluate factors, such as the type of road, weather conditions, familiarity with roadways, time of day and urgency of call. "They're obvious, but they're things that we don't think about," he said. "Take a second, think about it, and then go." http://news.cincinnati.com/article/AB/20100406/NEWS01/4070374/Cop+to+cadets++Speed+kills He still refers to the crash as an "accident"... ----- - gpsman
From: Dave__67 on 8 Apr 2010 08:17
On Apr 7, 11:49 am, gpsman <gps...(a)driversmail.com> wrote: > Cop to cadets: Speed, complacency kill > > By Janice Morse April 6, 2010 > > SHARONVILLE - "A vehicle can be an officer's most deadly weapon." > > That's a lesson West Chester police Officer Nicholas Gattermeyer hopes > other officers can learn from the high-speed crash that nearly killed > him. On Nov. 24, Gattermeyer's cruiser exceeded 100 mph as he headed > toward a burglary in progress at a home before he crashed. > > "The doctors tell me I will never remember what happened that morning, > but I can share with you lessons learned about the accident that might > save your life," he told a classroom of police cadets Tuesday at the > Great Oaks Police Academy on the Scarlet Oaks campus. Gattermeyer has > also spoken about his crash to law-enforcement students at the > University of Cincinnati and the West Chester Citizens' Police > Academy. > > Photos: Officer Gattermeyers crashhttp://news.cincinnati.com/apps/pbcs.dll/gallery?Site=AB&Date=2009112... > > Gattermeyer hopes his presentations will also help change public > misperceptions about police crashes, including his. > > Citizens seem to assume that the only time police cruisers wreck is > during high-speed chases, Gattermeyer said. > > But statistics he researched show otherwise. > > The average number of police officers killed in the U.S. each year > during pursuits: four. The number fatally shot or stabbed: 53. The > number killed in vehicle crashes: 65. > > "More officers are getting killed in their police vehicles, where they > feel safest, than any other time," Gattermeyer said. > > Gattermeyer, 25, who is now back to full duty on the West Chester > force, agrees with Police Chief Erik Niehaus' determination that his > speed prior to the November crash was "excessive." Gattermeyer served > a four-day unpaid suspension as punishment and says he takes full > responsibility for his actions. > > "Once some people found out how fast I was going, they wanted my head > - this guy's an idiot ... how's he a police officer?'" he said. But > Gattermeyer says he brushes those things off because, "They don't know > who I am. They don't know what I'm about. ... I made a mistake." > > Gattermeyer told the cadets that excessive speed and complacency were > the two main factors that contributed to his crash. > > "You get those lights and sirens going, you almost feel like you're > bulletproof ... and you're not," he said. > > A cadet who heard the presentation, Lonny Allison of Western Hills, > said afterward, "What sticks with me the most is the complacency > issue." > > Gattermeyer says many people who have seen photos of the cruiser are > amazed a person was able to survive such a devastating wreck, and he > acknowledges that if any one of many factors had been different, he > might not be alive today. > > "The seat belt saved my life. There's no doubt in my mind," he said, > noting that 63 percent of people killed in traffic crashes are > unbelted. > > His gun belt and bullet-resistant vest also helped absorb some of the > energy of the crash, but his brain still took a pounding inside his > skull as the vehicle suddenly stopped after impact with the tree at 76 > mph or so. > > "The midline of my brain was shifted to the right side of my skull," > he said, and doctors feared he would never see or walk again. "Imagine > your parents or your family members being told that." > > Despite his injuries, which also included a fractured foot and lower > leg, Gattermeyer recovered quickly. He returned to work on "light > duty" in January. > > To avoid a crash, Gattermeyer urged the cadets to evaluate factors, > such as the type of road, weather conditions, familiarity with > roadways, time of day and urgency of call. > > "They're obvious, but they're things that we don't think about," he > said. "Take a second, think about it, and then go."http://news.cincinnati..com/article/AB/20100406/NEWS01/4070374/Cop+to+... > > He still refers to the crash as an "accident"... > ----- > > - gpsman Locally, last year a trooper was killed chasing a motorcycle on rural twisty roads- in an SUV. He entered a turn too fast and rolled, etc. Another poor decision. Dave |