Six years and counting....
I was in a car accident recently, heavens be thanked no casualties but the car was a wreck, and I can tell you one thing: I wasn't worth much afterwards. My head spinning with thoughts, but no sensible action, or any action to speak of.
Adrenaline hits people in different ways, fight, flight or freeze, and I'm mostly a freezer, but after a few hours to days, those levels go down and the symptoms disappear.
But right after the fact, regardless of whether you fight, flight or freeze you are very vulnerable due to the shock.
My initial idea was that Shane had gone into the river (Thread 1) but the accident has made me change my mind and I now think it is very possible that someone passed by and offered him a ride. Which he accepted because he wasn't thinking clearly.
What happened afterwards, I have no idea.
In my case (No ma'am, no way you can drive with that windshield, not even slowly..!), LE offered to bring me home and they did.