[RookieDude]

Had something happen last Saturday enroute to do a Regional Basketball game in Washington State. Thought I would share the experience with some fellow officials and see if any of you have had similar situations.

I was driving to the game with my partner to a location about 125 miles away. We left plenty early so we would get there about 2 hours before game time. Other games were being played so we could watch some ball before our game.

About 30 miles prior to our destination, Wenatchee, WA along the Coulumbia River, we rounded a bend in the road.
Dust and debris was flying and there in the road was a vehicle turned on its side with an individual laying in the middle of the two lane highway. We were the first on the scene. Another vehcile was in the ditch, with the front end smashed completely in. This was not going to be good.
I had the cell phone in my hand as we got out to survey the scene. I was telling the 911 operator our position, or trying to, I didn't know the highway's number...HWY 28. I did have the milepost down, 18, and relayed that information along with what town we had just left, Quincy.
Anyway, as I was talking to the operator the vehicle on its side burst into flames...I told the operator I had to go as I also noticed an individual hanging out of the front windshield of the vehicle which was now catching on fire.
My partner yelled to get away from the vechicle as he thought it would explode any minute. I said we had to pull this guy out of the vehicle as it was burning. He ran to get help from the school bus that just pulled up, happen to be the school we were going to officiate. I tryed to pull the guy out of the car by myself but couldn't do it. I yelled for a guy that had just came upon the scence to help me. Between the two of us, we dragged the individual out of the front windshield. I felt for a pulse, but unfortunately there was none. The vehicle was totally engulfed in flames about a minute later, so I couldn't see if there was anyone else in the van. (Fortunately there wasn't) By now my partner had got back with a first aid kit and the woman bus driver holding it. We dragged the guy that was in the middle of the road (it was getting hot from close proximity to the burning vehicle) off to the side so she could work on him. She did fantastic...there was some pretty gory stuff she had to do.

As for the other vechicle...unfortunately the driver was a grandfather to a player on one of the teams we were going to officiate. He was slumped over on his daughter in the passenger seat...the player's mom. The player's uncle was in the back seat. The grandfather didn't make it...he died on the scene. The mother and uncle were taken to the hospital after the firemen cut them out with the jaws of life. They are going to make it. The passenger of the burning vehicle is still in intensive care at Harborview in Seattle, WA.

We got to the gym, after a long delay on the highway, at about the time the game was suppose to have been played.
Game management cancelled the game as many students were of course upset about one of there own's family member so tragically passing away. The game was a seeding game for State, so they just flipped a coin for seeding purposes.

Sorry, for the length of this post...but it seems to help to talk about it with fellow officials.

Thanks,
Dan