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Uniformed "Angels" awarded for saving girl's life

  • Published
  • By Samuel King Jr.
  • Team Eglin Public Affairs
EGLIN AIR FORCE BASE, Fla. --  For three people, Jan. 7 was anything but a typical morning commute on State Road 85.

That morning, Specialists Steven Brooks and Nicholas Wallace, 6th Ranger Training Battalion medics, helped save the life of 18-year-old Brianna Baker, a commuter who'd run head on into a light pole.

The Specialists, who were recently awarded medals for their heroic actions that day, had just completed the night shift at the Ranger Camp and were on their way home.

At the intersection of 85 and 77 Special Forces Way, the medics noticed a convertible blue Mazda Miata crumpled up at the light post. An Okaloosa County Sheriff, who'd witnessed the accident moments before, pulled off to the side. Upon seeing the sheriff's vehicle, the specialists drove over to help.

At the scene, the medics could see the situation was extreme.
"There was blood running down (Brianna's) face, and she begged me to get her out of the vehicle, but my first priority was to assume the worst," the 15-year medic said.

He stabilized Brianna's head and neck and tried to determine the extent of her injuries.

Specialist Brooks confirmed through Brianna's conscious level and reactions that she'd sustained a head and neck injury. Later, it was determined she fractured her C1 vertebrae in the crash. Specialist Brooks' goal at that point was to keep her conscious and calm until help arrived.

"He kept talking to me, and asking me questions about who I was, what I was doing and where I was going," Ms. Baker said. "He was trying to keep me engaged, because he didn't want me to drift off into a coma or something."

"I needed to ensure she remained calm and in place until we got the proper equipment and personnel, before the extrication process began. With spinal cord injuries, you have to be extremely cautious."

Specialist Brooks noted the air bag had not deployed during the crash. To prevent the airbag from deploying and possibly causing more injuries, Specialist Brooks wedged himself between the steering wheel and the injured girl.

Meanwhile, Specialist Wallace assisted anywhere he could from helping the Sheriff's officer with the increasing traffic as well as keeping Brianna stabilized. Specialist Wallace received an Army Achievement Medal for his actions.

"Wallace was instrumental in helping me with (Brianna) by getting the help and equipment we needed and just by being an extra set of hands," said Specialist Brooks.

Help and equipment arrived 10 minutes after the accident when Duke Field firefighters arrived.

With the help of the firefighters and paramedics, Brianna was extracted from the car. She was airlifted to Pensacola shortly after.

"It was an incredible team effort by all the agencies to be able to get her the care she needed," said the specialist humbly.

Brianna has fully recovered now and is forever grateful to her two new heroes.

"I didn't realize until I was in the hospital that if I would've moved my neck, I could have injured myself more," Ms. Baker said. "I had no clue. The first thing I would've done if they hadn't been there would've been to try to get out of the car."

To show her deep appreciation, she invited the medics to her upcoming graduation. She and her family also attended the specialists' medal presentation at the Ranger Camp.

"Everyone in my family, my grandmother and my grandfather, think (they were) the angels who saved me."

In a letter to the 6th RTB commander, Brianna's stepfather, Kevin Helmich wrote "I thank God for the miracle that saved Brianna's life. Almost surely, if she had been allowed to move, or try exiting the car, she would have stopped breathing and died."

Specialist Brooks received an Army Commendation Medal for his actions that day.