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Manorville, NY – In a display of remarkable courage and prompt action, seven Military Police (MP) soldiers from the New York Army National Guard intervened in a severe car accident on Long Island’s Sunrise Highway on May 20. The MPs from the 442nd Military Police Company were en route to a weekend training exercise at the F.S. Gabreski Air National Guard Base when they came upon a catastrophic two-vehicle crash.
Sgt. Andre Anderson, the convoy commander, detailed that a Ford F-150 had collided with a white Dodge Charger at exit 62. While two people from the pickup truck had survived unscathed, two individuals remained trapped inside the sedan. The convoy, consisting of two Humvees and an LMTV truck, immediately pulled over to respond to the emergency.
Sgt. Anderson, also an emergency medical technician (EMT), wasted no time. He rushed to the sedan, cut off the airbag and seatbelt to assist the unresponsive individual trapped inside. With a swift analysis of the situation, he concluded the car’s driver was in shock and immediately called for assistance.
“I immediately ran over, grabbed my knife, cut the airbag and seatbelt off. But the individual wasn’t responsive to painful stimuli,” Anderson said.
As smoke began to billow out of the vehicle, the situation became increasingly dire. Recognizing the urgency, Anderson signaled for the rest of the MPs to join the rescue mission.
“My only objective was getting [the occupants] away from the vehicle and to (a) safe location and make sure their airway, breathing and circulation were intact,“ Anderson recalled. New York Army National Guard MPs Aid Car Crash Victims
Spc. Tamika McCallum, a medical student and EMT with emergency room experience, and Spc. Arleny Germonsen responded promptly, working alongside Anderson to extract the passengers from the vehicle. They carefully maneuvered the unconscious and stiff patient out of the car, acknowledging that any sudden movement could exacerbate his injuries.
“We cut the airbags and maintained C-spine stabilization,” she said, referring to the driver’s neck area.
Following this, Spc. Kalifa Johnson, Sgt. Christopher Allen, and the aforementioned MPs combined their efforts to aid the second passenger. Allen fetched a heat blanket to keep the driver warm, while McCallum secured a cervical collar around his neck and they all worked to keep his airway clear while awaiting local EMTs.
Spc. Joshua Steinkamp and Sgt. Daren Brijmohan played critical roles as well, ensuring the safety of the vehicles and providing medical supplies as necessary.
Once local EMTs arrived and were ready to transport the patients, the MPs aided in transferring the patients onto stretchers.
Reflecting on the incident, McCallum lauded the team’s efficiency, trust, and cooperation. “I’m proud of everyone with our quick response time and being able to work together, to trust one another, to lift and carry these people out of the car, put them on the ground, check them and get them on a stretcher is amazing,” she said.
Capt. Keith Cohen, the commander of the 442nd MP company, praised the MPs’ reaction, noting their actions were a testament to their military and civilian training. Cohen announced that Anderson is being recommended for the Soldiers Medal, an honor bestowed for lifesaving actions during peacetime. However, he added, each one of the seven MPs acted commendably and represented the spirit of the 442nd MP company, a unit predominantly composed of first responders.
Source: New York National Guard
