in between , i began to parcel out the grand canyon story to oden , hop=inhg to keep him calm , and buy us time ,
"accident ," he said suddenly ." that's what it was . that ambulance . see ?" he pointed down the highway .
oden had eagle eyes . above the termal waves radiating off the road on the distant horiz=one i could spot pickupthat had passed us - its white paint was reflecting in the sun .beyond it i could barely make out the blue and red pulses of the rescue vehicle's flashing lights . from outr distance , i couldn't have identified it as an ambulance if my life had depended on it .
it was possible that my life did depend on it . how odd is that ? i hought .
oden slowed the camry . we closed in on the accident at forty mioes an hour . then thirty . a quaster mile away we were going ten .
the ambulance had stoped on the near side of a narrow bridge at a forty five degree anfgle , intentionally blocking our lane .an old chevy blaze was spun out in the other lane , completing the barricade . the old SUV was beat up - i wondered if it had rolled before returning to its wheels . a body seemed to be lying in the shade on the near side of the SUV , almost straddling the centerline of the roasd . one of the EMTs was squatting beside the injured person . another EMT was standing in the open rear hatch of he blazer . he or she was leaning in . i couldn't tell if there was a second =victim inside the chevy .
the whitre pickup rolled to a stoop a few feet from the scene . the driver leaned acrosss the cab and spoke tp the paramedic who was working in the back of the blazer .the par amedic poked his head out for just a second , said something back to the driver . the pickup driver straightened up behinbd the wheel , waved , and steered his truck off the road onto the dirt shoulder and then over the edge . the twin cab completely disappeared into a gully for five sconds before it popped up on the other side of the acccident , climbed a steep embankment , and hpped back ontop the road . the truck gained speed untuil it crezssy-td the hill behind the accident , anishing from view .
"accident ," he said suddenly ." that's what it was . that ambulance . see ?" he pointed down the highway .
oden had eagle eyes . above the termal waves radiating off the road on the distant horiz=one i could spot pickupthat had passed us - its white paint was reflecting in the sun .beyond it i could barely make out the blue and red pulses of the rescue vehicle's flashing lights . from outr distance , i couldn't have identified it as an ambulance if my life had depended on it .
it was possible that my life did depend on it . how odd is that ? i hought .
oden slowed the camry . we closed in on the accident at forty mioes an hour . then thirty . a quaster mile away we were going ten .
the ambulance had stoped on the near side of a narrow bridge at a forty five degree anfgle , intentionally blocking our lane .an old chevy blaze was spun out in the other lane , completing the barricade . the old SUV was beat up - i wondered if it had rolled before returning to its wheels . a body seemed to be lying in the shade on the near side of the SUV , almost straddling the centerline of the roasd . one of the EMTs was squatting beside the injured person . another EMT was standing in the open rear hatch of he blazer . he or she was leaning in . i couldn't tell if there was a second =victim inside the chevy .
the whitre pickup rolled to a stoop a few feet from the scene . the driver leaned acrosss the cab and spoke tp the paramedic who was working in the back of the blazer .the par amedic poked his head out for just a second , said something back to the driver . the pickup driver straightened up behinbd the wheel , waved , and steered his truck off the road onto the dirt shoulder and then over the edge . the twin cab completely disappeared into a gully for five sconds before it popped up on the other side of the acccident , climbed a steep embankment , and hpped back ontop the road . the truck gained speed untuil it crezssy-td the hill behind the accident , anishing from view .
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