A service technician from Springfield, Chris Tucker, recently found himself in a critical situation when he and his son came across an unconscious cyclist lying on the road. The incident occurred as they were driving along Villa Road one afternoon.
Chris's son alerted him to the situation, prompting Chris to turn his truck around to assist. On arrival, Chris saw a man face-down on top of his bicycle in a pool of blood. Cars were driving around the injured man without stopping to help.
“I immediately turned my truck around and headed back,” said Chris. “It was pretty shocking to see a person lying in the road, but the thing that surprised me the most was that cars were driving around him like you would drive around a pothole. I couldn’t believe it.”
With his son managing traffic, Chris approached the victim and used his first aid knowledge to stabilize him by shifting him into the recovery position. He also requested an umbrella for shade and a towel for support under the man's head.
“A few people offered ideas that could have caused more harm to the victim than good. At that point, I knew someone had to take control of the situation,” said Chris. “Because of my first aid experience, I let the others know I would take the lead until someone more qualified arrived.”
As emergency services were called, Chris applied pressure to the wounds using a first aid kit from his vehicle. The cyclist regained consciousness just before EMS arrived and took over care.
The cyclist was identified as a 47-year-old mentally disabled man who had likely lost control of his bike while returning home from grocery shopping. After leaving the scene, Chris visited the hospital for an update on the man's condition but could not receive specific details due to privacy rules. However, he met with the man's father again who informed him about some non-life-threatening injuries.
Reflecting on these events, Chris believes it was fate that placed him there at that moment: “Everything happens for a reason... If those chain of events hadn’t happened, I wouldn’t have been in the area. I truly believe it was fate that took me there that day."