The episode titled “First Fatal of Tripping Raul” begins with an atmospheric introduction, setting a dark and mysterious tone for the podcast, hinting at secrets and the pursuit of truth in journalism.

Tripping Raul opens the podcast by reflecting on newspaper reporting in the late 20th century, contrasting it with what she perceives as the less scrupulous reporting of the 21st century. She provides listeners with her background, noting that she was a beat reporter for a few years primarily in the 90s to early 2000s, and has since worked as a content editor, writer, and is now exploring artificial intelligence in podcasting.

TR acknowledges that her first podcast episode will probably not be perfect, as she expects it to “suck” like many others’ early attempts. She then dives into a specific story from her time as a beat reporter in New Mexico, about a fatal car accident on a highway connecting Colorado and New Mexico.

She recounts being called to the scene late at night and reflects on her childhood fears of monstrous visions and presences in her room, questioning her choice of profession given the macabre scenes typically associated with it. Despite this, she goes on to describe the accident: a drunken man driving a Toyota truck crossed into oncoming traffic, causing a collision with a Chevy Blazer.

While the teenagers in the Chevy Blazer survived and were taken to the hospital, the driver of the Toyota was killed. TR describes approaching the crash site, observing the tarp-covered truck and the still, twisted body of the deceased driver from the window of his truck, untouched by the dashboard or steering wheel due to his twisted position. She notes the irony of the dead man’s uncomfortable-looking position and his beautiful hair, which she finds a pity given that it no longer mattered.

The episode concludes with TR inviting her audience to subscribe and teasing the next episode about a one-seater plane crash.

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