Photo By Sgt. 1st Class Kyle Larsen | Medics assigned to 1st Armored Division and Fort Bliss respond to a vehicle accident...... read more read more
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FORT BLISS, Texas (Oct. 7, 2025) – When Soldiers enlist or commission in the U.S. Army, they swear an oath to defend the Constitution from all enemies, foreign and domestic. For medical personnel, that promise goes a step further. Bound by the Hippocratic Oath, they dedicate themselves to preserving life – on the battlefield and beyond.
That dedication was on full display last month when Fort Bliss medics from the 1st Armored Division and William Beaumont Army Medical Center responded to two separate off-post accidents, applying life-saving measures before emergency crews arrived.
On Sept. 10, 2025, during the evening rush hour, a multi-vehicle accident occurred at the intersection of Interstate 375 and 601, just minutes from Fort Bliss. Witnesses described a white pickup truck weaving through lanes before colliding with a black sedan, triggering a chain reaction involving two other vehicles.
“I was leaving work and saw the truck swerve and hit another car,” said Sgt. 1st Class Linda Toledo, division operations sergeant for the 1st Armored Division Surgeon’s Office. “It was chaos—cars everywhere, people recording, and heavy traffic. But my first thought was scene safety.”
Toledo immediately pulled over and ran toward the wreckage. Seeing fluids leaking from the vehicles, she quickly began clearing spectators away to prevent a potential fire.
“In my mind, I thought, if this car explodes, we’re going to have a mass casualty situation,” she said. “So, I pushed people back and started triaging the patients.”
Among the first Soldiers on the scene was Spc. Zachary Engel, a senior line medic with Bravo Battery, 4th Battalion, 1st Field Artillery Regiment, 1st Armored Division Artillery. Engel had been on his way to rugby practice when he spotted the wreckage.
“When I got off the ramp, I saw four vehicles in the intersection and no emergency response yet,” Engel said. “As medics, we have a duty to help where we can. I couldn’t, in good faith, just drive by.”
Engel assessed the scene, checking for injuries and stabilizing one of the more seriously hurt drivers. “It was mostly scrapes and bruises, but I wanted to make sure he stayed responsive until EMS arrived,” he said.
Toledo recalled how calm Engel was under pressure.
“[Engel] was very composed, he knew exactly what to do,” Toledo said. “He checked airways, breathing and responsiveness. That’s the kind of Soldier you want next to you in a crisis.”
Other bystanders, including off-duty nurses and Soldiers, joined in to help remove passengers from vehicles and comfort those in shock. Working together, they established a small triage area until local authorities arrived.
“There was teamwork from everyone,” Toledo said. “Nurses, medics, Soldiers, we didn’t need words. Everyone just did what needed to be done.”
After the scene was stabilized, Engel and Toledo stayed to brief responding officers and provide witness statements. Both credited their Army training for giving them the confidence to act quickly and effectively.
“You never know when you’ll need to use your skills,” Engel said. “It doesn’t matter if you’re off duty, when someone’s in danger, you step up.”
Toledo agreed, adding that professionalism doesn’t stop when the uniform comes off.
“For a young Soldier like Engel to stop, get out of his vehicle and render aid like that, it speaks volumes,” she said. “It’s not every day you see that kind of courage, but it’s exactly what we stand for in the Army.”
Just days later, another accident occurred near the intersection of Sgt. Maj. Boulevard and Ironside Road, within sight of 1st Armored Division Headquarters.
Staff Sgt. Zerr, a practical nurse instructor assigned to William Beaumont Army Medical Center, was driving home from the 1AD 360 Leadership course when he witnessed a pickup truck speeding through the intersection, losing control, and flipping onto its driver’s side.
“I saw the truck turn fast and then flip over,” said Zerr. “By the time I parked and ran toward it, the driver had crawled out and was shouting for his wife.”
As smoke and fluids leaked from the overturned truck, [Zerr] climbed onto the vehicle with two 1AD Soldiers in uniform to rescue the trapped passenger.
“He kept yelling, ‘My wife, my wife!’ so we climbed up the side of the truck and pulled her out through the passenger window,” Zerr said. “She was shaken, but alive. That’s what mattered.”
After helping the woman down, Zerr and the other Soldiers began providing first aid with combat lifesaver (CLS) bags they had retrieved from their vehicles.
“The medics were incredible,” Zerr said. “They went straight to work, cutting gauze, wrapping wounds and keeping pressure on a deep leg cut. They stayed calm and professional the entire time.”
A second vehicle, a Honda Accord, had also been struck during the rollover. Zerr rushed to check on the driver, who was panicking and shouting for her children.
“She was having a panic attack,” Zerr recalled. “I reassured her there were no children in either car, helping her slow her breathing. She finally calmed down by the time MPs arrived.”
Military police arrived within minutes, securing the area and taking statements while medics continued treating the injured. Both occupants of the overturned truck refused medical evaluations, while the driver of the Honda was later treated at William Beaumont Army Medical Center.
“It was chaotic at first, but once everyone started working together, things settled,” Zerr said. “Everyone – Soldiers, MPs, bystanders, just did their part.”
Col. Richard L. Clark, chief nursing officer for William Beaumont Army Medical Center, arrived shortly after the rollover and described the scene as “a mass of people running toward danger instead of away from it.” He said it was humbling to watch Soldiers react instinctively and work together to save lives.
“It was impressive to see how quickly 1st Armored Division Soldiers responded, just like they would on the battlefield,” Clark said. “Our junior Soldiers, NCOs and company-grade officers displayed professionalism and courage. They pulled passengers from the vehicle, assessed them immediately and worked as a cohesive team. It was a phenomenal job by the 1AD team.”
These two incidents, occurring within days of each other, highlight the instinctive professionalism and courage of 1st Armored Division and William Beaumont medical personnel. Whether on duty or not, their actions reflect the Army Values of selfless service and personal courage.
“You don’t do it for recognition,” Toledo said. “You do it because it’s who we are as Soldiers and as medics.”
The incident highlights the unpredictable nature of traffic safety and the critical importance of rapid response from medically trained individuals in emergency situations.
| Date Taken: | 10.06.2025 |
| Date Posted: | 11.17.2025 15:57 |
| Story ID: | 550446 |
| Location: | FORT BLISS, TEXAS, US |
| Web Views: | 18 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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