Handicapped in the news

[RuneDK]

This is so funny. I got this from a Swedish friend.

http://www.aftonbladet.se/vss/nyheter/story/0,2789,1089902,00.html

Just take a look at the photos. It's this guy in a wheelchair that got stuck to the front of a truck and sat there for 6 kilometers. The guy's from Michigan so you could probably get the article in English, but I'm not bothered looking right now.

[ElBeau]

http://woodtv.com/Global/story.asp?S=6623359

PAW PAW -- A young man has quite the story to tell after his wheelchair got lodged in the grille of a semi truck, which pushed the chair and the man inside for five miles down a road.
Muscular dystrophy forced Ben Carpenter, 22, of Alamo into a wheelchair eight years ago. He was on one of his twice-weekly outings, this time in Paw Paw around 4 p.m. Wednesday.
As he crossed Red Arrow Highway in front of a semi truck, he didn't make the traffic light. The truck driver apparently didn't see Carpenter and a collision occurred, causing the wheelchair's handles to become lodged in the truck's grille.
Carpenter remembers the sound. "Kind of like train cars coming together, something like that," he told 24 Hour News 8.
Unable to hear Carpenter's cries for help over the hum of the diesel engine, the truck driver continued down Red Arrow Highway at speeds of approximately 50 mph.
"It was fast, I know that. Faster than this chair was made to go," Carpenter said.
"I was thinking, the cars keep going by and nobody bothered to stop."
But they were calling 911.
The Michigan State Police Paw Paw Post and Van Buren County Central Dispatch began receiving strange reports of the situation. Police initially thought the report might have been a prank until they started receiving more calls.
Time was running out on Carpenter as the dark streaks on the road were marks left by the smoking tires on his wheelchair.
"I was probably thinking that this is going to keep going and not stop anywhere, 50 or 60 miles somewhere. What if I end up in South Haven? I mean, I would have been dead way before that."
Luckily for him, the truck driver stopped five miles down the road at Ralph Moyle Trucking Company, which owned the truck.
"If I had gone any more miles, the tires would have been gone all the way," Carpenter said.
When troopers arrived at the scene they discovered Carpenter unharmed and unfazed by the incident.
"I was happy. Thank God it was over," Carpenter said. "I thought it was kind of like a fair ride. I don't remember feeling any bumps though. I must have, but the road must have been pretty smooth."
Police approached the driver and advised him of what happened. The driver did not believe them until he stepped out of the truck and saw Carpenter still sitting in the chair.
One trooper on the scene said, "You could work another 90 years in law enforcement and never see something like this."
Everybody said they are just glad no one was injured.
Authorities say no charges will be filed.


http://woodtv.images.worldnow.com/images/6623359_BG2.jpg

[RuneDK]

What does it say on his shirt by the way? "I'm a copper"?

[Tokyohoon]

"I'm a Pepper" - it's a Dr. Pepper shirt.

I have a couple of those sitting in a box somewhere.

I do love me some Dr. Pepper.

[RuneDK]

"I'm a Pepper" - it's a Dr. Pepper shirt.

I have a couple of those sitting in a box somewhere.

I do love me some Dr. Pepper.

Guarana drinks is where its at.
http://www.quitandinha.com/images/guarana.jpg

[Baldy]

http://woodtv.com/Global/story.asp?S=6623359

PAW PAW -- A young man has quite the story to tell after his wheelchair got lodged in the grille of a semi truck, which pushed the chair and the man inside for five miles down a road.
Muscular dystrophy forced Ben Carpenter, 22, of Alamo into a wheelchair eight years ago. He was on one of his twice-weekly outings, this time in Paw Paw around 4 p.m. Wednesday.
As he crossed Red Arrow Highway in front of a semi truck, he didn't make the traffic light. The truck driver apparently didn't see Carpenter and a collision occurred, causing the wheelchair's handles to become lodged in the truck's grille.
Carpenter remembers the sound. "Kind of like train cars coming together, something like that," he told 24 Hour News 8.
Unable to hear Carpenter's cries for help over the hum of the diesel engine, the truck driver continued down Red Arrow Highway at speeds of approximately 50 mph.
"It was fast, I know that. Faster than this chair was made to go," Carpenter said.
"I was thinking, the cars keep going by and nobody bothered to stop."
But they were calling 911.
The Michigan State Police Paw Paw Post and Van Buren County Central Dispatch began receiving strange reports of the situation. Police initially thought the report might have been a prank until they started receiving more calls.
Time was running out on Carpenter as the dark streaks on the road were marks left by the smoking tires on his wheelchair.
"I was probably thinking that this is going to keep going and not stop anywhere, 50 or 60 miles somewhere. What if I end up in South Haven? I mean, I would have been dead way before that."
Luckily for him, the truck driver stopped five miles down the road at Ralph Moyle Trucking Company, which owned the truck.
"If I had gone any more miles, the tires would have been gone all the way," Carpenter said.
When troopers arrived at the scene they discovered Carpenter unharmed and unfazed by the incident.
"I was happy. Thank God it was over," Carpenter said. "I thought it was kind of like a fair ride. I don't remember feeling any bumps though. I must have, but the road must have been pretty smooth."
Police approached the driver and advised him of what happened. The driver did not believe them until he stepped out of the truck and saw Carpenter still sitting in the chair.
One trooper on the scene said, "You could work another 90 years in law enforcement and never see something like this."
Everybody said they are just glad no one was injured.
Authorities say no charges will be filed.


http://woodtv.images.worldnow.com/images/6623359_BG2.jpg

Good idea if Ben got a flourescent orange flag with a 6' whip on the back of his buggy. Of course Ben might have tossed his glasses up in the windshield, but he was probably busy peeing in his pants.

Ben handled himself well for staring at death.

[Johnny Rebel]

Good idea if Ben got a flourescent orange flag with a 6' whip on the back of his buggy. Of course Ben might have tossed his glasses up in the windshield, but he was probably busy peeing in his pants.

Ben handled himself well for staring at death.


Ben a friend of yours?

[DIYWMD]

Ben a friend of yours?


Just look at Ben! Ben is everyone's pal.

[Baldy]

Ben a friend of yours?

Ben seems cool for just entering the death stare club. Of course from the guys shirt beside him, it must have been a Dr Pepper truck that gave him a 5 mile+ push. They know they could have and still may get the piss sued out of pushing a pedestrian in a wheel chair with a semi. They probably made him sign a release form when he got the Dr Pepper jersey, lol.

After riding motorcycles in the Appalachian mountains, cities, and expressways (around cars is the worst) all over SE US for many years, you respect racers or other dangerous occupations for the adrenaline levels they go through routinely. You don't have time to think in emergencies with 2 wheels, and just go on gut level instincts. I've been real lucky, and so was Ben.

So I don't know him, but appreciate the living he did in 5 minutes or so is more thrills than many will have their whole life. Personally, I'd sue the shit out of Dr. Pepper since it was not a preplanned thrill of his choice.

[southsidelayla]

He looks exactly like the guy in the wheelchair on Little Britain (whose name I cant remember right now)

[WH Jay]

Andy Pipkin....