FORT LEE, Va. (June 20, 2013) -- A Fort Lee employee recently aided a severely injured motorist after his vehicle ran off of the road during a rainstorm.
Josh Grant, a quality control inspector with the Directorate of Logistics, said he and two other motorists were the first on the scene of the vehicle accident that occurred in the 14000 block of Branders Bridge Road on the morning of June 7 in Chesterfield County.
A young male suffered serious leg and other injuries as a result of the accident. His name and condition could not be confirmed at press time.
Returning home after a visit to his daughter's school, Grant said he was traveling southbound on Branders Bridge during a torrential downpour when he spotted a sport utility vehicle traveling north.
"I saw the vehicle's headlights disappear," recalled the former Soldier, "then I saw it flip across the road and strike a tree on my side of the road."
Grant said two other men who assisted him at the scene were in vehicles ahead of him.
"We stopped, and I proceeded around the (other) vehicles, pulled up as close as I could because there was debris all over the road," he said. "I jumped out, ran up to the vehicle and looked into it."
Grant said the dust from activated airbags filled the cabin, but he didn't see any occupants.
"I touched the seats to double-check (making sure no occupants were present)," he said. Grant then proceeded around to the driver's side of the vehicle, and that's when he "heard the young man moaning."
The victim lay next to a ditch, said Grant, noting he was "in some pretty bad pain." Grant also said the victim's leg was twisted and most likely broken, and he suffered injuries to his nose, face and hands.
Despite his injuries, the victim attempted to get up. "He really didn't want to be lying there," said Grant. "He was really fighting us to hold him down."
Grant said he and another motorist tried to comfort and calm the victim while a second called authorities.
Law enforcement and medical teams arrived on the scene in roughly 20 minutes, said Grant, who then helped to direct traffic.
In retrospect, Grant said he didn't consider ignoring the accident or thinking twice about getting involved.
"That's not how I am," he said. "I wasn't really thinking about anything other than making sure everyone was OK. I wanted to help any way I could. That's what we're supposed to do as human beings."
Grant and the other motorists said they didn't know what caused the vehicle to cross the centerline and flip.
Bob White, the Installation Transportation Officer, said he isn't surprised whatsoever by Grant's response to the accident.
"Josh is one of those guys you just automatically like and trust," he said. "He takes the most difficult tasks he may be given in stride and makes them look easy. Josh is a former Wounded Warrior and I have no doubt that some of his Army training kicked in during this event. The young man involved in this accident was very lucky that Josh Grant was one of the people who stopped to help him."
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