When I first began driving as a teenager, I came upon an accident on a rural road, the memory of which has stayed with me all my years. A man driving a Corvair had hit a tree, his car was wrapped around him and the tree and he was trapped inside. As I drove up to the accident scene right beside the road, several people had stopped to help, when suddenly the car burst into flames. On the Corvair the gas tank, the source of the flames, was right in front of the trapped driver. Nobody had a fire extinguisher, and there was nothing to fight the roaring inferno with, other than futile attempts at throwing handfuls of sand from the roadside on it. The man burned to death, screaming for what seemed like an eternity, finally going silent several long minutes prior to the first fire truck’s arrival. After that dreadful scene I swore that I would carry a fire extinguisher in each of my vehicles from that time on. And I have kept my word to myself—and him, although I never knew his name.

Since that terrible day long ago and thanks to that oath, I have been able to extinguish several fires along the roads of America. Some had victims trapped, others had people standing by helplessly while their vehicle and possessions burned--because they never considered carrying a fire extinguisher.

Now, the reason I shared this story was not to horrify you, or get “attaboys” for what I did. Rather, my intention is to stir some people to action. Typically, the three things most needed at an accident scene (besides a cell phone, which everybody seems to have these days) are a fire extinguisher, a first aid kit, and a flashlight. Yes, there are other things that are good to have, such as flares, warning triangles, blankets, etc., but if I can just get you to carry these items in your truck (and cars), somebody out there will be able to help an accident victim, and maybe prevent a tragedy. Just one time will make the re-telling of this awful experience worthwhile—and perhaps put some demons to rest. You just never know when it will be your turn.