How a Chance Encounter Turns into a Life Saving Event
Safety is something we all think about at some point during the course of a day — whether you’re making sure you walk down the steps carefully or watching your child to ensure they safely hop on the school bus in the morning or looking both ways before crossing the parking lot.
However, sometimes accidents can’t be avoided when you’re in the wrong place at the wrong time. Two of our very own employees, Victoria Arnold and Jessica Walker share their stories on being in the right place at the right time and how a chance encounter positively impacted the lives of two people in auto crashes.
— — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — —
Veterinary Product Support
Animal Health, Bayer
I was driving home late one evening at 10:30 p.m. in April on a rural highway in Missouri and was startled by a light flashing at the side of the road. As I got closer, I noticed an SUV on its side down in a creek bed, just off the road. I could tell no one else was on scene, at least I thought so. The light that was flashing when I drove by turned out to be a neighbor who heard the crash and came out to help and was trying to flag someone down with a flashlight.
The lights on the vehicle were lit up and that’s when I realized the accident had just happened. I passed the accident and turned around in the next driveway and came back to park. As a veterinary nurse, I knew I could offer some assistance.
As I ran down the hill to the vehicle, a neighbor who had already checked on the vehicle before I arrived and couldn’t get the doors open, left to get a shovel to break the front windshield. Once it was opened, I managed to crawl inside, thanks to the neighbor peeling the windshield off of its frame.
I began to check the woman’s vitals. Her heart rate was too fast to even count. She was very scared and shook up and said that her chest hurt. I hoped first responders would get on scene quickly as I couldn’t get far enough into the vehicle to do any kind of CPR. Fortunately, we didn’t have to as her chest must have hurt from the seat belt and/or air bag. I held her hand and continued to talk to her and she was able to give me her husband’s phone number.
As I called her husband and told him what had happened, the first responders arrived and I needed to get out of the vehicle to allow them to do their job. Before hanging up, he said “please tell my wife I love her.” I couldn’t get back to her as the first responders wouldn’t let me near the vehicle and I felt terrible not being able to give her the message from her husband.
I later found out that the woman named Jill was ok and that her husband Richard was actually a Bayer employee as well. On that night, I have to say that I was afraid to look into the vehicle and was overjoyed to see that Jill was alive and speaking. It meant a lot to me that I was able to be with her in that moment and to provide some comfort and medical assistance. Jill definitely had a guardian angel looking after her that night.
You never know what you might experience on the job or off it but thankfully I was able to help a fellow human being in a time of need.
— — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — —
Pharmaceuticals Division, Bayer
On a grey and below freezing February day, I was 30 miles away from my destination but was thankful the ice and snow had melted for my trip. I was scheduled to speak at a patient engagement event later in the evening. I was driving south from Kansas City, MO to Wichita, KS. I noticed in the distance in front of me a Kansas highway patrolman and some distance behind me was a semi-truck and single passenger pick-up truck. In the opposite lane was a semi-truck hauling a tanker.
The semi with the tanker was about to approach to pass but instead of passing, the truck turned into the cement barrier wall in the center median as it got closer and closer to me. I recall thinking “Oh my God, is this really happening?” The cab of the semi hit the cement barrier and busted right through it. The cab of the truck exploded into flames on impact. I swerved in an effort to miss the flames and the flying debris coming at me. The explosion was so massive I could feel the heat through my car.
The impact caused the semi to begin to jackknife and the tanker started to flip down the highway as explosions continued. I immediately pulled my car to the side of the road, pressed my hazard button and got out of the car to assess what just happened. Fluid from the tanker was pouring on the road while the cab of the semi was engulfed in flames. Travelers who were behind me were parked and two men were running up to the scene. I yelled at them to let them know that there is fluid pouring from the tanker and to get back in case it was fuel.
The highway patrolman who was ahead of me is now backing up to the scene as well. I debated on how close I could get to the cab, so I started yelling at the cab for any sign of life. Two other men approached the scene, one being a semi driver. He informed us that the liquid coming out of the tanker was diesel fuel.
I knew that was not a good indication if the person inside the cab was still alive. I ran back to my car to get my Bayer safety kit and road markers. One of the men had found a fire extinguisher on the road that had flew off of the semi when it hit the cement barrier. As he began sweeping the flames with the extinguisher, we finally heard a sign of life from the cab. The cab was fortunately on its side with the driver’s side closest to the ground. Since the flames were being extinguished there was an opportunity to get to the driver. With the help of the two men and the highway patrolman, we picked the driver up and ran down the side of the highway placing him on the ice and snow to extinguish the flames on him.
Explosions were continuing to ignite and we needed to get him further away from the scene, so the four of us picked him up again and started running down the highway. We were able to place him in the back of a pick-up trick.
My nurse instincts set in and I quickly began ripping his burning clothes from his body in an effort to stop the burning process on his skin. The driver had deep lacerations on his forehead so I removed gauze from my safety kit and applied pressure to try and reduce blood loss. To assess the man properly, I started asking him questions to see if he could respond appropriately. Thankfully, he was able to.
Soon after getting all his burned clothing off, blankets were brought to keep him warm and first responders arrived to the scene. I provided a status report to the responders and left the driver’s side.
Once the adrenaline began to subside, I reflected on the event that just took place and a few things stood out to me. Early in the day when getting dressed, I chose not to wear high heels even though I normally always do. For whatever reason, I felt compelled to wear flats. Had I been in heels I would not have been able to maneuver down the highway like I did. If the semi did not impact the center barrier the way it did, the fire extinguisher would not have been ejected from the semi to be accessed to put out the flames to reach the driver. I was also amazed my hands did not sustain any burns from helping the driver.
The experience was truly something remarkable that you can’t imagine and I am beyond thankful we were able to get the driver out and provide assistance.
