Bystander Who Helped Lift Truck Off Man Involved In Kearns Rollover Speaks

A Midvale carjacking turned into an alleged kidnapping and home burglary in West Jordan Saturday night. Photo: Gephardt Daily

KEARNS, Utah, Feb. 10, 2016 (Gephardt Daily) — A traffic accident turned into a lifesaving effort when bystanders lifted a vehicle in order to help save a man pinned beneath it Monday night.

According to Unified Police Detective Chuck Malm, the incident happened at 8:30 p.m. near 4700 S. 4000 West when a vehicle that had been traveling at a high rate of speed hit a cement barrier and rolled into a muddy canal bed.

Malm said a bystander, identified only as Jeff, was traveling west immediately after the accident and pulled over to help when he noticed a man was pinned underneath the vehicle.

Jeff talked with Gephardt Daily Wednesday, and said when he pulled over all he could really see were headlights pointing in a direction that did not make sense.

“I pulled over and positioned my car where my brights would give me some light, it was really dark and I had no idea what I was going to find,” Jeff said. “I didn’t really have time to think about it, I called 911 as I got out of my truck and headed down to help. When I got down there, I found the driver face down and under the top of the Suburban. He was unconscious, but still breathing faintly.”

Jeff said he just kept telling the man to keep breathing and to hang, on but knew they needed to get the vehicle off the man. He knew the man was badly injured. He had a big gash in the back of his head, and the manner in which the car had moved the barriers surrounding the area showed a very hard impact.

“The first thing I was worried about was the vehicle catching on fire, but I could not smell any gas so I figured at that point it was OK,” said Jeff.

“A few others stopped to help and I told them to come help lift the vehicle. It was a bit chaotic but once everyone listened, we were able to get the truck off the man and over onto its side. Some were upset I was not willing to move the victim until emergency crews arrived, but I had to keep telling people to leave him alone, I knew moving him could make things worse. I was with him and I was not going to leave him.”

Malm said Jeff did everything a bystander should have done.

“He protected the victim from further injury and he did all the right things,” Malm said. “He didn’t hesitate. He managed to orchestrate others to help him remove the vehicle, and he stayed with the victim the entire time and did not allow anyone to move him.”

Many bystanders choose not to become involved at the scene of an accident because they don’t knowing what to do. According to Beprepared.com, Jeff ‘s decision to not move the victim was one of the things that may have helped spare the victim from further injury.

The victim was transported by ambulance to the hospital in critical condition, but it is believed he will survive. A current update on his condition was not immediately available.

Malm said the investigation into the accident is still ongoing, but alcohol is being considered as a possible factor.

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