For Columbia Gas of Ohio Field Technician Curtis Van Vlerah, April 12 began like most other mornings. He was in his Columbia Gas vehicle on a loop connecting I-475 to I-75 in Toledo, near the Ryder MOD where he reports. However, his routine morning changed when he noticed the car in front of him pulling to the side of the highway and a semi-truck further ahead flipped on its side, wheels still spinning.
Curtis, a Sergeant First Class in the U.S. Army with 18 years of service and three deployments to Iraq and Afghanistan, as well as a COH employee for six years, did not hesitate to stop and help.
“Once I got out, I saw two gentlemen (in the truck cab). The passenger’s eyes were closed and he wasn’t moving. My first thought was worst case scenario,” Curtis said. “I grabbed my first aid kit and I said, let’s go.”
A nurse who had been in the car directly in front of Curtis also stopped. Together, they assessed how they could assist the accident victims while waiting for emergency services. The truck driver appeared alert but his passenger had visible injuries including broken teeth, a dislocated shoulder, and a severe head laceration.
An off-duty firefighter driving another truck then pulled over to assist. He and Curtis helped extract the two men through the busted windshield before handing them over to the nurse.
“The nurse just started checking everything. She used my first aid kit that I brought when I ran up to the truck,” Curtis said. “Luckily I had gloves and gauze in there for that.”
Curtis and the firefighter moved the men to sit by the guard rail while continuing their checks. Curtis’ military training enabled him to assess their conditions without causing further harm.
“The biggest thing was making sure that they were alert, breathing and making sure that they didn’t have major bones sticking out or things like that,” Curtis said. “The biggest thing is when you have a situation happen like this, that person’s adrenaline is going crazy and so is ours, so I wanted to make sure I’m not going to hurt this person more.”
After emergency services arrived, Curtis stepped back knowing he had done what he could. While one man was taken away by ambulance, Curtis assisted the truck driver in finding his phone before offering his own when it couldn't be located.
Once calls were made to families and both men were en route to the hospital, Curtis' role concluded. His prompt actions ensured proper care without exacerbating injuries—a mindset rooted both in his Army training and Columbia Gas principles.
“The Columbia Gas mentality is we’re here for the public and safety,” Curtis said. “No matter what your gut is going to tell you that it’s not a good situation; stop and help do everything you can to help the community and each other.”
Despite how quickly events unfolded and his immediate response, driving past never crossed his mind.
“I’ll be honest; it’s hard for me because of my military background to talk about this situation," Curtis admitted. "I’m trying to be a good person...my morals told me I had to stop,” he added. “I’m just doing what’s right.”
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