Guardian angel on the road Off-duty paramedic battles fatigue and trauma to save young father

Although drained after an exhausting 18-hour shift, an off-duty paramedic sprung into action on Tuesday night to help save the life of a young father who was sprawled motionless on a Portmore, St Catherine roadway, following a hit-and-run crash.

Oneil Walters had been struck by a Toyota Voxy travelling towards Kingston. Thrown from his motorcycle and lying unconscious on the roadway, Walters appeared to have suffered severe head injuries, and every passing second could have determined whether he lived or died.

The paramedic, who is also a correctional officer, asked that his identity be protected because of the nature of his job. He said that, months before, he had promised himself that he would no longer stop at accident scenes after witnessing a traumatic fatality. However, when he saw Walters lying helpless on the asphalt, fatigue gave way to instinct.

He rushed to the injured man, carefully checking for signs of life before quickly assessing the seriousness of his injuries. Suspecting spinal trauma, he refused to move Walters unnecessarily.

“I had to make a make-shift collar as I was concerned about spinal cord injuries and I didn’t want to move him. He wasn’t wearing a helmet, and the bike was a distance away from him, so I realised that, when the vehicle hit him, he flew from the motorcycle,” the paramedic said.

He asked a bystander for a piece of cardboard and fashioned an improvised cervical collar to help stabilise his neck while they waited for emergency responders. The paramedic remained by Walters’ side until the fire brigade arrived.

His compassion did not end there. As the scene unfolded, Walters’ mother, Merlene Wright, arrived only to collapse in shock after seeing her son’s condition. Once again, the paramedic sprang into action, helping her through one of the worst moments of her life.

For the paramedic, saving lives is deeply personal. Now entering his third year of medical school at The University of the West Indies, he was inspired to pursue emergency medicine after losing his uncle in a motor vehicle crash in 2012. That painful experience taught him the importance of the ‘golden hour’ after a traumatic injury.

“He was in a coma for three weeks and the day that he woke up was the day he died. I made a vow to go into medicine and emergency medicine as well. I know that within that first hour of intervention will determine that patient’s quality of life going forward,” he said.

Meanwhile, Wright believes her son’s survival is directly linked to the stranger who chose to stop when others might have continued driving.

“I believe he is alive because of the gentleman who stopped and helped him,” she said, her voice filled with gratitude that her only son will have another chance to watch his children grow up.

“I thank him from the bottom of my heart because he did what was necessary to stabilise and save my son,” said the woman who hails from Seaview Gardens, St Andrew.

Wright said her son was awake and undergoing further tests, adding that she firmly believed his survival was because of the intervention of the man who stopped to help him.

“He has kids, so I am really appreciative that he got a chance to live. His head was badly swollen, and I was told that, when I went on the scene, I passed out and it was the same gentleman that had stopped and help me as well. I want to tell this man that I owe him my life because Oneil is my only son,” Wright said.