Navy Recruiters Respond to Car Accidents

UNITED STATES

04.27.2018

Courtesy Story

Commander, Navy Recruiting Command

Sometimes, you happen to be in the right place at the right time. For two Sailors of Navy Talent Acquisition Group Portland, that meant being the first responders at two different car accident locations just outside of Portland, Ore. in the span of three days.
On Tuesday afternoon, April 24, Hull Maintenance Technician 2nd Class Jose Rodriguez, of Austin, Texas, was leaving the Oregon City, Ore. Navy Recruiting station. Almost immediately after leaving the strip mall where the station is located, he saw the end of a two-car, head-on collision.
Rodriguez immediately stopped his vehicle and went to aide the individuals in each vehicle.
“I went to the first car, an older lady, and she was conscious and had some chest pain but not really bleeding,” said Rodriguez. “I went to the man’s car, his head was bleeding, he was in and out of consciousness and eye was swollen. I kept talking to him to make sure he didn’t fall out of consciousness. “
Their conversation included Rodriguez contacting the man’s wife and job to let them know what happened and that he would not be heading to work that day.
The very next day, 24 miles away in Beaverton, Ore., Aviation Boatswain’s Mate (Handling) 1st Class Fernando Jimenez, of El Paso, Texas, was on his way back to the Beaverton station when he saw a two-car accident and immediately pulled over to offer assistance.
“I went up to the lady in the second car and asked if she was ok,” he said. “She couldn’t move without being in pain and I told her not to move her neck. She was in pain and afraid.”
Jimenez stayed with her, holding C-spine, ensuring her head remained still to prevent spinal cord injuries, until the paramedics arrived approximately 45 minutes later.
“At my previous command at Camp David, we had to get EMT certified,” said Jimenez. “I was just doing what I was trained to do.”
Justin Ombs, a former Navy Lieutenant, was at work across the street when the accident happened and credited Jimenez for taking action.
“I know he didn’t need to stop but he did,” Ombs said. “He was very collective and calm, you could tell he spent some time on the flight deck with mild chaos going on around him. He really went a whole way to making the situation a lot better.”
For more news from Commander, Navy Recruiting Command, visit us on the web, www.navy.mil/local/cnrc/; on our Youtube channel, U.S. Navy Recruiter; on Facebook, www.facebook.com/NavyRecruiting; and on Twitter, @usnavyrecruiter.

• Date Taken: 04.27.2018
• Date Posted: 04.27.2018 20:02
• Story ID: 274891
• Location: US