Treadmill test

"Miss Penn, in your report you stated that you had concluded your investigation, and were on  your way out. Can you tell us what happened then, please?"

"I passed this door, and I thought I heard someone sobbing, and panting at the same time,     accompanied by some mechanical noise. I entered the room and there was a  woman on a    treadmill, running. She didn't notice me, as she was indeed sobbing, her eyes full of tears. At  first, I didn't understand why. She wasn't running at an incredible pace, she was muscular and  stocky: it all looked like part of a normal work out. I wanted to turn around and leave, but then  she saw me and she... SHRIEKED at me, telling me to turn it off. I looked again, and then I   freaked out! I saw that she couldn't stop and couldn't get off. She was impaled on a metal  upright that rose from the middle of the treadmill right... well, INTO her! I understood then  why she looked so mortified. One misstep and she could injure herself horribly. Or worse! I  rushed forward, only to recognize at the latest moment that I would have to be very careful in  my actions. I couldn't just pull the plug: an all too sudden halt would have resulted in a  disaster.