FOB WARRIOR, KIRKUK - U.S. Soldiers on patrol outside the Iraqi village of Kalwr in Kirkuk province, rushed to the aid of an Iraqi motorist during a vehicle rollover accident, August 9.
Soldiers from Co E, 1st Bn, 8th Cav Regt, 2nd BCT, 1st Cav Div, witnessed the Iraqi driver lose control of his vehicle approx 300 meters in front of their MRAP vehicle. "The car lost control when it hit a patch of loose gravel on the road, causing the vehicle to run off onto the shoulder, hit a bunker, flip several times and eject the driver from the sunroof," said 1st Lt. Bryan Riggs, a plt leader with 1st Bn. 8th Cav. Regt., who was in charge of the patrol and witnessed the accident.
Riggs and his Soldiers quickly secured the crash site to render assistance and determine the man's injuries, at the same time contacting Lt. Col. Kiawa, the police chief of the nearby village of Kalwr. The plt's medic, Sgt. Allen Sheppard, sprang into action to render aid to the injured driver.
"I determined that the driver had broken his leg, collar bone, and had a head injury," Sheppard said. With assistance from the plt sgt, Sgt. 1st Class Bryon Clark, who brought a combat lifesaver bag, stretcher, and neck brace, Sheppard was able to stabilize the injured man while waiting for help to arrive.
As a medic, Sheppard said it was his duty to perform first aid on injured Soldiers, as well as civilians. "I'm fortunate to have reached the casualty in time to treat him, because he was in bad shape following the accident," Sheppard said. "I was just doing my job."
Riggs also used his interpreter to calm concerned citizens who began gathering near the crash site, and had his Soldiers perform traffic control to divert other vehicles away from the accident.
The Kalwr police arrived shortly thereafter to begin an accident investigation, and evacuated the driver in an IP vehicle to Kirkuk General Hospital, in Kirkuk city, where reportedly the man survived.
According to Riggs, while tragic, this accident was significant to U.S. forces and IP because it displayed how effectively the 2 forces worked together. "The U.S. Soldiers worked side-by-side with their IP counterparts to save a man's life, and their ability to function as a whole was absolutely critical in this op," Riggs said.
