Photo By Ana Henderson | U.S. Army Yuma Proving Ground, Garrison Manager Ken Musselwhite presented Sgt....... read more read more
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U.S. Army Yuma Proving Ground Police Department Sgt. Christopher Spolski is drawn to helping people, and his career choices reflect that.
He served his county in uniform with the U.S. Marines for four years.
Then his community. First, as a firefighter with YPG in the early 2000s, then he transitioned into a security role and by 2010 he was working as a civilian security officer at YPG.
It was on one of those nights patrolling where all those skills Spolski acquired over his career came into play in mid-February. He was ending his shift, heading south on Highway 95 when he noticed a car in front of him swerving a bit. He saw the car swerve left toward oncoming traffic, then back right causing the sedan to hit the shoulder.
“I saw some dust kick up, then it over corrected and shot left and that’s when I saw the car just went right across the highway, and I just saw dust kicking up everywhere,” recounts Spolski. “I remember saying to myself, ‘here we go.’”
He quickly called in the accident to dispatch and then pulled over to see what he could do to help. The sedan has landed on its roof, on the opposite side of the road on a sand berm.
“I asked, ‘are you okay’ and she said, ‘yes’ and was talking, so I knew she was alert.”
He advised the driver not to move if she was hurt, she said she was okay and was trying to get out of the vehicle where she was basically hanging upside down, so Spolski reassured her, “I am going to get you out.” And that he did.
The car was up against sand and the door was stuck.
“I was wanting my tools from when I was in the fire department.”
Yet he was able to use his strength fueled with adrenaline, “I gave it three of four good yanks to open it enough to get her out.”
The woman reassured him she was able to walk, so Spolski helped her exit her car. “I got her arm and helped her out.”
YPG’s Fire and Police Departments showed up on scene shortly after, as did two Arizona Highway Patrol units. Spolski knows the feeling on the emergency responders’ side driving to a scene. “It feels like we cannot get there fast enough.”
Experiencing it from the other side, he said seeing the lights was a relief.
He describes night as being pitch black in the desert and with few cars passing by. Spolski estimates the women’s car was 15-20 yards from the highway. He looks back and wonders how long she would been there alone in need of help if he hadn’t been there.
“I took a moment and said thank you Lord for having me be there. I just said it out loud. Thanks for letting me be there.”
| Date Taken: | 04.25.2023 |
| Date Posted: | 04.25.2023 10:00 |
| Story ID: | 442495 |
| Location: | YUMA PROVING GROUND, ARIZONA, US |
| Web Views: | 206 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, YPG officer jumps into action to pull woman from wreckage, by Ana Henderson, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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