Adrian: Terrifying Crash Leads to Near-Fatal Injuries

It was June 2021. I was driving home from work in Charleston, SC, taking an alternate route on my way home.

I was waiting for traffic, third car in my lane, and I heard a motorcycle accelerating hard to come through the light.

The car in position 1 in my turn lane turned left and the motorcycle impacted the turning car at the B pillar. The ride and bike were vaulted down the street and actually came to a stop around my front bumper.

The bike missed my truck by inches and came to a stop around 100 ft behind my truck. I looked down and and saw the right femur protruding through his pants. Blood immediately started pouring out.

I grabbed my personal IFAK (individual first aid kit) and immediately put a tourniquet on.

He came to as I tightened the tourniquet properly, and I had to hold him down to stop him from
trying to take it off, due to the pain. (Survival Med note: a properly applied tourniquet is so tight that it’s painful. A comfortable tourniquet is a non-functional tourniquet.)

EMS arrived almost immediately. The paramedic saw the tourniquet and asked who had put it on. I looked up and said I had. They took over and quickly got him to the hospital’s Level 1 trauma unit. The paramedic threw me a TQ to replace the one I used, as they loaded him up and left.

The PD took my information and I left.

Approximately 6 weeks later I received a phone call. It was the guy that I put the TQ on. He was very emotional and incredibly thankful for my intervention. He had completely severed his femoral artery and was told in no uncertain terms that if I had not intervened he would have bled out before EMS arrived.

He made a full recovery after 4 surgeries.

The lady who turned left of course said it wasn’t her fault. I was was asked to come to court and testify. She was convicted.

I carry three IFAKS in my truck now.