Quick thinking and bravery can make all the difference in a split second as shown by local high school student Jonathan Findley. This senior demonstrated heroism late last year when he sprang into action to rescue an injured driver from a devastating car accident along Highway 92. It was an average day for Johnathan, driving to a sleepover with his friends later that day, but things would take an unexpected turn when they got to highway 92 where they witnessed that a car had suddenly started to roll where it landed on its roof.
Without any hesitation, Findley and his friend ran to the scene to help the guy out. The driver was trapped upside down in the wrecked car and was unconscious and needed immediate assistance to help the driver be safe.
“It didn’t feel real at the moment,” Jonathan later recalled. “It looked like it was in a video game. The car just went straight across and rolled over.” With the windshield all cracked, Findley knew he would probably just get cut by it, but despite the risk of cutting himself, he tore away the glass and began pulling the driver out.
As scary as this situation might seem, Findley never let fear take over. “I actually wasn’t scared at all,” he said. “I just knew that I had to stay with the guy and he wasn’t too injured, surprisingly.”
When the paramedics arrived, they first checked Findley and his friends hands to check if they had any severe cuts from his hands after moving the windshield. The paramedics asked them to see if they were ok, after pulling the guy out, and then they directed their attention to the guy himself, to check if he was responsive and aware, and after that they got him into the ambulance to take him to the hospital.
After it was all said and done, the full weight of the situation hit Findley where he began to reflect on what actually just had happened. He hadn’t felt nervous, not even in the moment, not even now. There was a strange sense of calm that guided his actions, as if his instinct had taken over without thought. It was about doing what needed to be done, and he was grateful he’d been there to help.
“When I got to the house I sat down, I was like, ‘Well, I just went through a whole car accident.”
Findley’s actions bring attention to the importance of quick thinking in moments of crisis. It stands as an example of what happens when a person can make when they choose to act without hesitation or fear.
