Oct 7, 2008 7:39 am US/Mountain
Dougco Deputy Crashes Car After Rattlesnake Bite
PARKER, Colo. (CBS4) ―
A Douglas County Sheriff's deputy returned home from the hospital Monday night after being bitten by a prairie rattlesnake over the weekend in Parker.
Deputy Edward Roberson responded to an emergency call Friday of a 3 foot long snake around a group of children in the Pradera subdivision. Roberson wanted to get rid of the snake so it wouldn't hurt anyone. That's when the snake turned on the deputy.
"He began playing around with the snake with his baton and putting his foot out trying to see if it would strike, finally he chose to pick it up and it striked him," said John Eischen, a young witness who took photos of the snake.
Roberson had a severe reaction to the venom while back behind the wheel of his patrol car. That caused him to drive over an embankment and crash.
"He must have either lost consciousness or had something so severe happen to him that he put down the gas pedal and the car drove over an embankment into a field area and (the car) got high centered," sheriff's spokeswoman Cocha Heyden said.
A golfer saw the accident and ran over to the car after it crashed and he turned the car off. He then waited with the deputy until help arrived.
After rescue crews removed Roberson from the car the children who saw him said he looked like he was in very bad shape.
"He was pale white, from the venom I guess," Alec Vaness told CBS4.
Witnesses said that before Roberson arrived on the scene the snake had been struck by rocks and was disturbed.
"I think it was really the other people's fault because they were kind of teasing with it before they were thinking about killing it, so I think the snake was already really agitated," Eischen said.
Roberson was hospitalized for several days at Parker Adventist Hospital.
Prairie rattlesnakes are usually 2 to 3 feet long and are tan colored with oval shaped brown patches on their back. Their venom is extremely toxic.
Experts: Rattlesnake Venom Becoming More PotentResearchers are reporting unusually potent venom and deadlier reactions from rattlesnake bites in the western United States.
Researchers aren't sure why, but they are seeing more people go into shock from a bite. They tested the venom and it is the most powerful they've seen in years, CBS4's Dr. Dave Hnida reported in July.
Each year about 25 people in Colorado get bitten by a rattlesnake.
"Fortunately, it's rare to hear of a death, but the reactions to a bite can be horrible," CBS4 Medical Editor Dr. Dave Hnida said. "In fact, last year five victims almost died. The reason may be rattlesnake venom is getting more toxic, so minutes matter if a snake sinks its fangs into you."
Avoiding a bite is the best defense by avoiding tall grasses, not reaching behind rocks or piles of wood, and keeping eyes open.
"(Watch) your step and remember, a snake doesn't need to be coiled to strike," Hnida said. "Most won't unless you bother it, so if you and a snake cross paths, give it a wide berth."
Hnida said the most important bits of advice heard over the years about treating a snake bite are probably wrong.
"(An) 'X' does not mark the spot. Don't cut into a snake bite unless you're a board-certified surgeon, otherwise you'll probably hit an artery, vein or tendon," he said.
Other advice Hnida gave was not to suck the venom out. It doesn't work and it may cause some venom to be absorbed in the body. He said not to apply cold or ice to a bite because it causes more tissue damage. Nor should a tourniquet be applied.
"Stay calm," Hnida said. "Not exactly always my favorite advice, but seriously do the best you can. You want to keep your heart rate down, which also means avoiding running or rapid walking."
The best treatment is anti-venom, and the only place to get it is at a hospital.
The other best treatment is to call 911.
"If you're out in the wilderness, many snake bite kits are not believed to be that effective by poison center experts, so have a plan in place before taking off," Hnida said.
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