Airmen from 97th Civil Engineering render aid at accident

  • Published
  • By Tech. Sgt. Jennifer Seidl
  • 97th Air Mobility Wing Public Affairs
ALTUS AIR FORCE BASE, Okla. - --  Three Altus Airmen rendered aid at the scene of a vehicle accident Sept. 8.

Staff Sgt. Adam Hills, Airmen 1st Class Bryan Foley and Arryawana Saldana of the 97th Civil Engineer Squadron, Altus AFB, Okla., were on Highway 62, returning to Altus AFB from Lawton, Okla., after reconfiguring two Altus AFB emergency response vehicles for the Mobile Emergency Operations Center.

"The (vehicle) was rolled over on the driver side. There were one or two civilian vehicles already there and the people on scene were helping Ms. Rose Jenkins out of the truck. Her grandson was standing in the rain next to the truck. There were no emergency services on scene," said Sergeant Hills.

"I saw a little puddle on the road, and when I hit that... it felt like the car went air born. I had no control of it. When I hit the ground I was drifting off into a grassy area. I turned my wheel and the car spun around and shot out to the other side of the highway. I turned it again, it spun back to the middle... I never thought about the cruise control. It spun me back on the other side, and it started flipping over and skidding," said Ms. Jenkins.

"I held on and when we stopped we were in the middle of the oncoming lane. I asked my grandson if he was ok and he said... 'I'm ok but why are we upside down?'"

The three Airmen stopped immediately and with the aid of two other civilians helped to stabilize the situation.

"These young men and women risked their own lives, and they make me proud. They stopped traffic...I was pushing on window, pushing on doors... I began to panic... how am I going to get out of this car? With the weather conditions, and there was a big truck coming... I was trying to get out when they came and they got the back open and ... they got me out," said Ms. Jenkins.

Airman Saldana began guiding other cars away from the scene to avoid further collisions and keeping the situation from getting worse.

"I directed traffic around the accident. At this time Airman Foley and Sergeant Hills helped the child and Ms. Jenkins into Airman Foley's car because it was raining and neither had a jacket on," said Airman Saldana.

After a check determined the youngster had no injuries, Airman Foley kept him warm and dry in his car.

"He climbed up into my vehicle and told me he was cold, so I turned on the vehicle, turned on the heat and gave the child my uniform top to try and stay warm, and we instructed him to keep still and not fall asleep as he told us his head hurt," said Airman Foley.

Sergeant Hills helped Ms. Jenkins out of the wrecked car and dressed a wound on her elbow with the response vehicle's first aid kit.

"She was very scared and frazzled as to be expected. There is nothing like the look I saw on her face when we got her to Airman Foley's car and she saw her grandson there and he was ok," said Sergeant Hills.

"I had no idea not to use my cruise control in inclement weather, never heard about it, no warning, nothing... I didn't want to get a ticket, so I put my cruise control on," said Jenkins

The On Star capabilities had already notified emergency medical services and they were en-route. By the time emergency medical services and the Oklahoma Highway Patrol arrived, the three Airmen had secured the scene and the victims. The Airmen helped load the patients into the ambulance.

"Although it was a very unfortunate accident, I was very happy we just happened to be there. Between all of the emergency management training, self-aid buddy-care training and confidence in our abilities myself, Airman Foley, and Airman Saldana have, I feel Ms. Jenkins and her grandson were both in good and capable hands until help could arrive," said Sergeant Hills.

"Make sure you stay calm because you can get a lot more done if everyone is calm. Also remember your training and never make a promise that you cannot keep," advised Airman Saldana to anyone who might find themselves on the scene of an accident.

"I am very happy she and her grandson are ok, and that I was glad to help." Airman Foley said.

"In my opinion it was a heroic act. Seeing them in there in their uniforms, it brought me peace. I work with them every day, I know what they do. They were cool, they were calm... They were, to me, at their finest. They knew what to do and they did it. I was calmer when I saw them. When I saw them I knew everything would be alright," said Ms. Jenkins.