Airman assists in Japanese motor vehicle accident

  • Published
  • By Senior Airman Jessica Lockoski
  • 35th Fighter Wing Public Affairs
MISAWA AIR BASE, Japan --  May 15 started out as a pretty typical Saturday for one Airman who had the night off from work. Tech. Sgt. William Lee was heading home from a friend's house near Shimokubo Park just before 10 p.m. Although the misty night had been fairly uneventful, that quickly changed.

"Right before I made a left turn toward my house, a little motorcycle without its front headlights on went screaming past me," said Sergeant Lee. "After I made my turn, I could see its brake lights on in front of me, but it just disappeared about 50 yards away."

Seconds later, the senior maintenance controller from the 35th Maintenance Operation Squadron's maintenance operation center, said he saw a Japanese woman in her mid-50s lying down on the road in a pool of blood with her bicycle next to her. He had quickly realized the woman had been struck by the vehicle.

"I stopped my vehicle and ran up to her," he said. "She was pretty cut-up - her face was torn-up really bad. I grabbed her hand and saw that she was slipping in and out of consciousness."

In the dimly lit street, another person emerged to assist. A Japanese man, who also witnessed the accident, phoned emergency help, which was more than 10 minutes away.

Sergeant Lee's efforts were further supported when a Japanese man who also witnessed the accident called emergency responders on his cell phone.

Meanwhile, Sergeant Lee applied pressure to the woman's face and kept her alert, relying on the near countless hours of Air Force first aid training, he said.

Uncertain if the woman had any broken bones or internal injuries, Sergeant Lee tried to keep her still.

Using the small bit of Japanese Sergeant Lee had picked up over the years, he tried to keep her calm, reassuring her until help could arrive.

"She was apologizing to me for being at the wrong place at the wrong time. Meanwhile, her eyes would roll back into her head, and I knew I have to keep her conscious," he added. "I told her it would be okay, and the ambulance was coming to take her to the hospital. I stayed with her until the medics, firemen and police came about 10 minutes later."

After the accident, the sergeant said he had never responded to an accident that severe, but is glad he could be there for her.