Spectrum Patient Services employees demonstrate act of heroism

At Spectrum Health Care are employees are the cornerstone of our business.

Their dedication and commitment to the care of our clients is a key component to our delivery of client centred care.

On August 8, 2015 two of our employees from our non-urgent patient transfer division, Spectrum Patient Services, demonstrated their dedication to the safety and care of others in an act of sheer heroism.

Below is a statement from a bystander who witnessed their great act of bravery.

I am writing to address what I witnessed and what I would call an act of heroism provided by three of your employees on the morning of August 8, 2015 around 2am on the QEW near Fifty road. I hope by now you have already received the news from somewhere about this and not hearing about this for the first time from myself.

I personally work in one of the nursing homes in Oakville as a PSW and have seen your trucks couple of times. I understand that Spectrum Patient Service is a non-emergency patient transfer company and that you guys have no affiliation or obligation to respond to 911 calls.

On Saturday August 8, 2015 at around 2Am I was driving not far behind a car that got into an accident, although I did not really see how the accident happened, I sure did see the result of it. I pulled over immediately and stopped along with maybe 8 other cars and from what we could see from a distance away, the car that was involved had caught on fire seconds after it crashed into an 18 wheeler. The car was completely destroyed with car parts and pieces spreading all across the highway. It was a very horrific scene to have witnessed.

I along with the other people that got out of our cars, wanted to help but was too scared to run across the highway while other cars were still rushing by and surely we did not have the courage to run into a burning car, even though one of us had a fire extinguisher.

Unfortunately I did not have a chance to get any of the names of these three employees of yours: one was a young man in his mid 20's, Asian background, the other gentlemen was probably in his early 50's wearing a baseball hat with long hair. The third one is a mid age lady in her late 30's to early 40's, blonde highlights hair, wearing a nurse uniform.

All three of them were just passing by and came across the accident scene maybe a minute after it just happened. I thought I saw an ambulance and I was going to start waving for help and then I realize it was a spectrum truck and I even told the other bystanders that they are not an ambulance they only do transfers as they were pulling over to the right shoulder and what seems like they were slowly driving pass the accident scene. Which to my surprise they stopped abruptly and all three of them rushed out and quickly put out the burning car and pulled the guy out of the car and started doing CPR.

It felt like 10 minutes have gone by since these individuals jumped out of their truck and offered help before another ambulance showed up. Unfortunately the individual did not make it according to the newspaper but if he had any chance of surviving the horrible accident, it would have been because of these three individuals.

After witnessing what these three individuals did without hesitation, putting their own lives in danger, trying to put out the fire, pulling the guy out of that car and doing CPR, etc. I almost felt ashamed for doubting these heroic individuals in the first place while I uselessly stand on the side of the highway too afraid to go in and help.

Spectrum Health Care wishes offers deepest condolences to the family of the individual involved in the accident, our thoughts and prayers are with them during this difficult time.

* Note: Of the three individuals, two were Spectrum Patient Services employees. The other was a nurse from a hospital who does not work for Spectrum Patient Services.