Maybe John can explain why a wheelchair stuck in sand wouldn't trip an
overload switch (or something) to prevent a motor or component fire.
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http://www.kltv.com/Global/story.asp?S=3D8775751&nav=3D1TjD
=A008/01/08 - Athens, Texas
Wheels Of Fire: Woman Sets Athens Field On Fire With Wheelchair, Gets
Rescued
It is probably one of the most bizarre rescue stories we have ever
heard. An east Texas woman gets her wheelchair stuck in a pasture. As
she tries to free herself, the wheelchair overheats and catches fire.
Luckily, a man happened to see the smoke from the fire.
"God, I don't want to go this way."
Fortunately for Jerri Smith she didn't - because of Obie Simpkins, whose
curiousity got the best of him.
"I=A0was parked at the red light, and just kept seeing smoke that was
behind Wal-mart," Obie told us today. =A0
"I was still hollering for help. Waving, pleading," says Jerri. =A0
"I got back here and=A0I noticed, all=A0I saw was arms sticking up from
the grass. Arms flying up real frantically," Obie recalls.=A0"I jumped
out of my van."
"He=A0wasn't running at first, but you know=A0I wanted someone to run.
Because=A0I was scared," Jerri says.
Jerri says she got stuck testing the limits of her wheelchair.
"I wanted to get out and do what=A0I wanted to do, just like any two
legged person."
"This hand in fire, this hand in blueberries with thorns. I was in
shorts with no shoe!," explains Jerri, who is an amputee.
"She was probably about right in this area here where=A0I found here.
I=A0drug her up away from the fire some more, and then=A0I went and got
help to get her the rest of the way out," Obie told us.
"They=A0got me to a back of a pickup truck, and=A0I was saved," says
Jerri, with obvious relief.
Jerri was safe - but what about the fire?
"The=A0wheelchair was still on fire. That was probably the biggest
flames out there. Probably 15 feet or so in the air. It was blazing up
pretty good," said Mr. Simpkins.
"All that area just burning. I couldn't believe how big it got," said
Jerri.
Because of the rough terrain, firefighters had to call in the Forestry
Service to put a plow line to keep the fire from spreading. In all, the
fire burned two acres.
Now Jerri says God must have been watching out for her, parking a good
Samaritan at a red light.
"It felt like the right thing to do," said Obie. "I just hope somebody
would do that for me."
"He's my blessing. He's my angel," says Jerri.
Jerri says she does have a standard wheelchair to move around. But her
electric wheelchair was a gift from a dying friend, and unfortunately
Medicare won't buy her another.
Danielle Capper, re****ting. dcapper@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
*****Don't Cry Because It's Over...Smile Because It Happened.*****
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