Photo By Lance Cpl. Tucker Mocan | U.S. Marine Corps Sgt. Hayden Chace a transmission systems operator with Headquarters...... read more read more
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CAMP SCHWAB, OKINAWA, JAPAN – On his morning motorcycle commute to work, Oct. 7, U.S. Marine Corps Sgt. Hayden Chace witnessed and quickly responded to a vehicle roll-over on the expressway.
“I saw the car skidding, and then like half a second later there was a big explosion when the tire blew up,” said Chace. “Rubber flew everywhere and got all over me and my bike. I was just hoping they were okay.”
Chace, a transmission systems operator with Headquarters Company, 4th Marine Regiment, merged into the right lane to avoid debris while the vehicle proceeded to skid. It eventually hit the guard-rail, causing it to veer towards his lane at a sideways angle. Chase sped up to try and get past the vehicle to avoid getting hit.
“Right as I passed them, it started to flip,” Chace said. “I pulled over after 100 meters or so and stopped the bike, took off my helmet, and ran to the car.”
Chace immediately began assessing the situation and checked the passengers for injuries. He was concerned that the gentlemen in the vehicle were showing signs of a concussion. Chace called the Provost Marshal’s Office, and Japanese emergency services arrived on scene shortly after.
While waiting for emergency services to show up, Chace, who speaks Japanese, was able to engage with the two gentlemen and assess their injuries. Besides being visibly concussed, they showed only minor injuries such as some small cuts and minor bruising to the body.
Once Japanese authorities arrived, the two men were transported to a local hospital for follow-on care. Chace stayed and talked to the Japanese officials, telling them what he saw.
“It’s not the first time I’ve helped someone that was in an accident; accidents happen all the time,” said Chace. “I didn’t think about not helping.”
Although Chace responded to what could have been a tragic vehicle accident, he didn’t see his actions as anything outside of the ordinary.
“You see something like a bad wreck, you should stop,” said Chace. “It’s just the basic, good human thing to do.”
| Date Taken: | 10.07.2025 |
| Date Posted: | 11.30.2025 19:42 |
| Story ID: | 551834 |
| Location: | CAMP SCHWAB, OKINAWA, JP |
| Web Views: | 67 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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