Photo By Joseph Siemandel | Command Sgt. Maj. Eric Honeycutt, State Command Sgt. Major, Washington Army National...... read more read more
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Helping citizens in need is nothing new for members of the Washington National Guard. Since March, more than 2,500 members have answered the call during the COVID-19 response and the civil unrest following the death of George Floyd.
For one group of relatively new Guardsmen, their moment to help came in the middle of a busy interstate.
On Friday afternoon, four Guardsmen traveling from Spokane to Camp Murray for drill noticed a motorcycle accident just outside of Vantage, Wash along Interstate 90. A motorcycle rider had lost control and fell off the bike just before the bridge over the Columbia River.
The accident had recently happened and no first responders were on site when the Guardsmen approached and traffic was beginning to congest. The injured driver was laying in the left-hand lane, with the motorcycle in the roadway.
Responding quickly, Sgt Grant Angle pulled up to the scene of the accident. Private August Johnson, who recently returned from Combat Medic School and Private First Class Zierryeme Tagbas jumped out to begin rendering first aid to the injuries while assisting an off-duty first responder, who was also traveling on I-90. The pair helped with getting a neck brace on the victim, bandaging up his wounds on his arm and getting him removed off the highway and to a safer area.
While medical aid was being rendered, SGT Angle and PFC Chase Flanigan began directing traffic, removed the motorcycle out of the middle of the highway, and cleared up the majority of the debris from the roadway until the State Patrol was able to take over the incident.
“These Guardsmen saw a person that needed help and had the mindset and the knowledge to jump into action to help another person,” said Command Sgt. Major Eric Honeycutt, State Command Sgt. Major, Washington Army National Guard. “Their reactions to the situation now only potentially helped save someone’s life, but also made a situation that could have been really bad much better. I applaud these Guardsmen and I’m glad they are in our formation.”
| Date Taken: | 07.14.2020 |
| Date Posted: | 07.14.2020 16:07 |
| Story ID: | 373893 |
| Location: | CAMP MURRAY, WASHINGTON, US |
| Web Views: | 61 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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