Photo By Maj. Fredrick Williams | Sgt. 1st Class John Jackson, USARCENT G5 operations noncommissioned officer in charge,...... read more read more
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SHAW AIR FORCE BASE, S.C. – A Soldier was driving on Highway 378 to work at Shaw Air Force Base after returning from an appointment at Fort Jackson April 10. When he looked in his rear-view mirror and saw a vacuum sewage truck go off the road and disappear into the wood line, he knew it wasn’t going to be another day in the office.
Thankfully it wasn’t just any Soldier. It was Sgt. 1st Class John Jackson, an infantryman and former Special Operations medic, from Coolville, Ohio, assigned to U.S. Army Central.
He turned, crossed the median and drove to where the truck went off the road. He parked, got out of his vehicle, and looked in the direction of the accident, where he witnessed lots of wreckage and smoke. Jackson stated he had to wait to cross the highway because initially other drivers weren’t stopping.
Jackson was the first to arrive on the scene.
“I could smell fuel, and I could see sparks coming out of the engine. I saw that the driver was conscious. I pried the door open and started assessing the driver’s condition,” said Jackson. “The passenger was screaming ‘I’m pinned!’ and the driver said, ‘Help my buddy, his legs are hurt,’” he continued.
Normally the injured are left in a vehicle until paramedics arrive with the proper equipment, but when Jackson saw small sparks coming from the engine, he made the decision to get the driver and passenger out of the truck for their safety.
After getting the driver out and sitting him down, he started clearing the wreckage out of the cab to get to the passenger.
A civilian and Sgt. Maj. Jess Todd, ARCENT information operations sergeant major, arrived on the scene to assist.
“I told them to call an ambulance, to look for smoke and fire, and if they saw anything, to let me know and get as far away as possible,” Jackson said.
Todd and the civilian watched the truck and tended to the driver, who was in shock.
Meanwhile, Jackson took off the passenger’s safety belt and assessed his condition. He saw that the passenger’s right leg below the knee had been taken off, a traumatic amputation. He knew that he had to get a tourniquet on it.
“I had seen these injuries before; I had treated these injuries before. Amputations, decapitations, fractures – I have seen about every flavor of trauma you can imagine,” said Jackson, who served four tours in Iraq and two tours in Afghanistan.
His experience treating hundreds of patients during his 18 years in the Army sometimes meant making fast decisions.
“The fuel from the truck was pouring out, was burning your eyes and I was afraid the truck was going to blow and I couldn’t get him out in time, and he was going to bleed to death,” said Jackson.
He reached down and grabbed him underneath his arms, and lifted him out of his seat, slowly, but with a sense of urgency. The two men who had stopped helped him get the passenger out of the truck. Another civilian arrived, and Jackson told him to watch the truck and tell them if it was going to blow up or burn.
“I told the other civilian to start taking notes, including what time I put the tourniquet on,” said Jackson.
He tried using a stick and a piece of cloth for a tourniquet, but it broke, so he used his belt and a wrench, and Todd’s belt to secure it. He had one of the civilians hold the tourniquet in place and observe for bleeding.
“I started doing my rapid trauma assessment on the patient,” said Jackson. I started talking to him, making sure he was alert and oriented. I told him to slow down his breathing and asked him if he felt pain anywhere else,” he continued.
After his assessment, they kept him alert, conscious, and talking, monitored the scene and waited for paramedics to arrive. A deputy sheriff arrived and helped coordinate medical assets to the scene.
When fire rescue personnel arrived, Jackson maintained control of the scene. He directed them, telling them about the situation and what they needed. They brought their equipment, and Jackson started oxygen with a mask for the patient.
Jackson helped the paramedics place the patient on the spine board, lifted him into the ambulance, and waited for the life flight to arrive.
“I broke away to find the other patient to make sure he was OK,” said Jackson.
Finally, he helped the firemen look for the missing leg, but they couldn’t find it.
Then Jackson went back on his way to work.
“Throughout, Sgt. 1st Class Jackson maintained a cool, collected demeanor and kept the passenger awake. His reassuring tone was effective as he continued to give directions to the civilians and driver,” said Todd.
The passenger was transported by helicopter to Palmetto Health Richland in Columbia.
According to Battalion Chief Brian L. Christmas, Sumter County Fire Department, the passenger would have died without Jackson’s swift action.
“I think by him placing the tourniquet, stopping … or minimizing the bleeding, it definitely contributed to saving his life,” said Christmas.
“I truly believe that Sgt. 1st Class Jackson saved the passenger's life,” said Todd.
U.S. Army Central has been resident in Central Asia and the Middle East for more than 20 years. With forward headquarters in Kuwait, Qatar, and Afghanistan, our presence preserves regional stability and prosperity. U.S. Army Central provides the strategic land power that prevents conflict, shapes the environment and, when necessary, wins the Nation’s wars.
| Date Taken: | 04.10.2014 |
| Date Posted: | 04.15.2014 12:59 |
| Story ID: | 126037 |
| Location: | SHAW AIR FORCE BASE, SC, US |
| Web Views: | 773 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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