News

Holy Cow!: Reservist provides aid on a lonely Utah highway

  • Published
  • By Staff Sgt. Nicole Celestine
  • 446th Airlift Wing Public Affairs
MCCHORD AIR FORCE BASE, Wash. --  It was just after dusk on Sept. 14, along the Skull Valley Road in Grantsville, Utah, that an Air Force Reserve medical technician used his emergency medical skills to help a mother and daughter who sustained injuries after their vehicle smashed into five cows that wandered across the road. 

Taking care of others is nothing new to Staff Sgt. Russell Morris, 446th Aerospace Medicine Squadron. In fact, his supervisor only heard of what Sergeant Morris had done in an e-mail that included information about his pay status. 

Sergeant Morris, who was with his dad, noticed a silver SUV off the side of the road, and five cows dead on the side of the road. With more than 17 years military experience as a medic, he quickly pulled over and rushed to the car. 

"When I saw the car and five cows, my first thought was: 'Are the people in the car OK?'" said Sergeant Morris. "I noticed the whole front end of the car was pushed in. It looked like a scene from a Matrix movie." 

The driver was already out of the car, tending to her 9-year-old daughter in the back seat. Sergeant Morris kept the mother calm as she appeared confused and complained of abrasions and chest pains. He used his jacket to keep the girl warm as she didn't show any signs of injury. According to Sergeant Morris, the little girls was his "perfect little helper" while he called the Proving Grounds Emergency Medical Services, about 42 miles south of Skull Valley Road. 

As luck would have it, a few minutes after he stopped, Sergeant Morris said Army Sergeant Terry Rasch happened to be driving along the same route. The Army medic stopped to give Sergeant Morris a helping hand. 

"The two of us worked as a team," said Sergeant Morris. "Sergeant Rasch stabilized the mother's spine to prevent any further injuries." 

Sergeant Morris said it took about an hour before emergency personnel arrived, following his call. 

"They were very lucky he was there first," said Master Sgt. Jim Clements, Sergeant Morris' supervisor, 446th AMDS. "Sergeant Morris has a wealth of EMT experience. I'm sure they were glad he was first on the scene." 

A cervical collar was placed around the woman's neck and she was secured onto a backboard before being airlifted to a medical facility at the University of Utah. The little girl was taken by ambulance to a local hospital in Tooele, Utah. 

Sergeant Morris, serving his first Air Force Reserve UTA at Dugway Proving Grounds, Dugway, Utah, has also been a Reservist with both the Army and Navy. He believes his military medical training was important to helping the victims. Sergeant Clements said Sergeant Morris' quick response to the victims affirms his dedication to serving others. 

But Sergeant Morris isn't one to hog the limelight. He said having Sergeant Rasch with his medical training there made attending to the victims easier. Sergeant Morris' dad, an Army Special Forces veteran of 29 years, helped local highway patrol officers control traffic. 

Believing in basic human nature to care for others, Sergeant Morris said he was happy to have been at the right place at the right time. He'd like to think if he were in the same situation, someone would stop and help. 

"Any help you can give can make the difference," said Sergeant Morris. "Do the right thing. Don't be the one who passes by. Have the personal courage to stop and live by the military values."