You are in a vehicle accident and unconscious.

[swsmailman]

This are some questions that popped into my mind one day while driving to work which is a hospital.

Here are my questions, written in a scenarios.

1. You are carrying while in your vehicle and are in a accident, a accident that has left you unconscious. You are rushed to the local hospital either by ambulance or by air, it is such a short ride or flight that your clothes are still on, you are taken into the ER as a trauma and are being assessed, since you are on a backboard they want to get you off of that an onto the ER stretcher. By doing so they have to log roll you. At this time they log roll you and your gun falls onto the backboard since they have cut your pants, and is exposed to everyone that is around you. What do you expect to happen?
(do know that in the ER at where I work there is usually always a Sheriff's Deputy around)

2. Same thing but this time your gun has somehow fallen out while still at the scene of the accident and you have already been taken to the hospital but the gun is still inside the vehicle or around the vehicle and no one has noticed it. What do you expect to happen?

 

[Adionik]

I'm sure thing would be odd until they found the CHL license in my wallet...or looked it up at the very least.

Either way, I don't see how criminal charges could be filed nor would I worry about it

 

[TXRanchMedic]

1. If EMS is doing their job, it will be found on scene and the on scene law enforcement (DPS, SO, PD, Barney) will take it into custody (SN check, recheck of CHL permit, other local procedures) and you can file paperwork to recover your property after you are discharged from the hospital.
2. If in your vehicle, the local law enforcement who does the inventory of property will take it into custody and do the procedural checks.
2a. If on the ground around the scene, it's a gamble as to whether it will be picked up by responsible persons, and you will need lots of paperwork proving ownership to recover it.

You might want to contact your local law enforcement and ask what their procedures include. The bigger cities and counties may involve more hassle. If the law knows you, it should be easy to get it back.

 

[cougartex]

I would hope the gun would be in the custody of the police and returned to the owner.

 

[TheDan]

Scenario 1: I expect I'd have to answer some questions from the on duty LEO, but I would expect my gun back once they realize I'm carrying legally.

Scenario 2: If a first responder didn't see it and turn it in, then I'd expect it the be gone for ever. If anyone rummages through your car at the wrecking yard the handgun is as good as gone.

 

[texas_teacher]

Scenario 1: I expect I'd have to answer some questions from the on duty LEO, but I would expect my gun back once they realize I'm carrying legally.

Scenario 2: If a first responder didn't see it and turn it in, then I'd expect it the be gone for ever. If anyone rummages through your car at the wrecking yard the handgun is as good as gone.

Answer to both... Avoid a car wreck... Public transportation everywhere keeps us free of the maniacs that are on the road. Or just never leave the house... That way you never have to worry about renewing your CHL in the first place...

 

[Dcav]

Answer to both... Avoid a car wreck... Public transportation everywhere keeps us free of the maniacs that are on the road. Or just never leave the house... That way you never have to worry about renewing your CHL in the first place...

Yes because public transportation is pefectly safe

 

[ZX9RCAM]

Yes because public transportation is pefectly safe

Houston Metro bus, light rail train collide downtown; at least 18 injured | kens5.com | San Antonio News, Weather, Sports, Traffic, Entertainment, Video and Photos

 

[Dcav]

Heh, I was being sarcastic of course Cam.

 

[ZX9RCAM]

Heh, I was being sarcastic of course Cam.

Sorry, did not mean for it to appear to be directed towards you, actually meant to help prove your point.....

 

[Dcav]

Ahh I figured as much bud, just saying. The metro comment made me remember that wack-job in Canada who beheaded a passenger and knawed on the corpse while everyone sat in stunned silence. (See if i can dig up the story)

Edit: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/7535840.stm

 

[Broke Hoss]

As a Police Officer, this got me thinking & I may make some suggestions to change our policy.

1. As for it being on your person, as others have said EMS will likely find it. I would take custody of it and book it for safekeeping. At minimum a reciept would be stuffed in your pocket; more likely we would contact your kin or whoever came to the hospital for you & let them know it was safe & how to retrieve it.

2. This 1 got me thinking. As we wouldn't be impounding the vehicle as evidence or anything it would not be inventoried by us. We would simply call the next wrecker service on the rotation list and they would tow it away to thier storage yard. We would let you, or whoever know where the car went at the hospital.

I have worked a wreck where the driver was transported due to injury & several longguns were visable at the scene. In that case I booked the guns for safekeeping & looked through the car to make sure I'd gotten everything of value for the guy secured. I wasn't able to tell him what was done, but did leave him a copy of the receipt & my business card with his property at the hospital. Family called a couple of days later & I explained how to get them. They were very appreciative.

 

[Dcav]

As a Police Officer, this got me thinking & I may make some suggestions to change our policy.

1. As for it being on your person, as others have said EMS will likely find it. I would take custody of it and book it for safekeeping. At minimum a reciept would be stuffed in your pocket; more likely we would contact your kin or whoever came to the hospital for you & let them know it was safe & how to retrieve it.

2. This 1 got me thinking. As we wouldn't be impounding the vehicle as evidence or anything it would not be inventoried by us. We would simply call the next wrecker service on the rotation list and they would tow it away to thier storage yard. We would let you, or whoever know where the car went at the hospital.

I have worked a wreck where the driver was transported due to injury & several longguns were visable at the scene. In that case I booked the guns for safekeeping & looked through the car to make sure I'd gotten everything of value for the guy secured. I wasn't able to tell him what was done, but did leave him a copy of the receipt & my business card with his property at the hospital. Family called a couple of days later & I explained how to get them. They were very appreciative.

Good stuff Hoss.

 

[swsmailman]

As a Police Officer, this got me thinking & I may make some suggestions to change our policy.

1. As for it being on your person, as others have said EMS will likely find it. I would take custody of it and book it for safekeeping. At minimum a reciept would be stuffed in your pocket; more likely we would contact your kin or whoever came to the hospital for you & let them know it was safe & how to retrieve it.

2. This 1 got me thinking. As we wouldn't be impounding the vehicle as evidence or anything it would not be inventoried by us. We would simply call the next wrecker service on the rotation list and they would tow it away to thier storage yard. We would let you, or whoever know where the car went at the hospital.

I have worked a wreck where the driver was transported due to injury & several longguns were visable at the scene. In that case I booked the guns for safekeeping & looked through the car to make sure I'd gotten everything of value for the guy secured. I wasn't able to tell him what was done, but did leave him a copy of the receipt & my business card with his property at the hospital. Family called a couple of days later & I explained how to get them. They were very appreciative.

Good stuff, That is what I would be expecting for them to do.

 

[30+GSXR]

Good stuff, That is what I would be expecting for them to do.

ditto

 

[texas_teacher]

As a Police Officer, this got me thinking & I may make some suggestions to change our policy.

1. As for it being on your person, as others have said EMS will likely find it. I would take custody of it and book it for safekeeping. At minimum a reciept would be stuffed in your pocket; more likely we would contact your kin or whoever came to the hospital for you & let them know it was safe & how to retrieve it.

2. This 1 got me thinking. As we wouldn't be impounding the vehicle as evidence or anything it would not be inventoried by us. We would simply call the next wrecker service on the rotation list and they would tow it away to thier storage yard. We would let you, or whoever know where the car went at the hospital.

I have worked a wreck where the driver was transported due to injury & several longguns were visable at the scene. In that case I booked the guns for safekeeping & looked through the car to make sure I'd gotten everything of value for the guy secured. I wasn't able to tell him what was done, but did leave him a copy of the receipt & my business card with his property at the hospital. Family called a couple of days later & I explained how to get them. They were very appreciative.

I hope that you are not apart of the few but rather the many... Sometimes in this day and age it is hard to find someone that is willing to go out of their way to help out a fellow man... I salute you sir for the service that you do to this state in its safe keeping but also in the way that you look out for fellow man on just a conscionable and moral level.