Narelle Coulter
Teachers are called on to perform many roles, but being first responders at a serious accident outside their school is not usually part of the job description.
But that was a situation that confronted Mount Ridley College teachers Nik Edwards and Jennifer Markotsis on June 24 when a car and a truck collided near the college on Konagaderra Road, Oaklands Junction.
Year 7 team leader Nik, who is also a volunteer with the Sunbury CFA, and year 9 team leader Jenni were leaving the college at around 4.30pm when the accident occured. They both lept out of their own cars to help save the life of a young P-plater driver trapped in the car that had been crushed underneath the truck.
While Nik took control of the chaotic scene outside the car, moving his own vehicle to block traffic, Jenni donned medical gloves and slid into the back seat behind the driver to comfort the injured young man.
“I used to be a nurse so I went into autopilot,“ explained Jenni.
“I was behind him trying to make sure his airways were clean and his pulse was good. He was unconscious the whole time, but occasionally he would rouse. I tucked myself right behind him and kept rubbing his chest, talking to him and making sure his head was up and his hands were away from the broken glass. I wanted to make sure he stayed with us.
“I was in there for 45 minutes but it went in the blink of an eye.“
The young man was eventually freed when SES volunteers used the jaws of life to lift up the front of the car and slide him out.
Jenni praised the SES volunteers, ambulance paramedics and police who attended saying “they were amazing“.
“The SES and ambulance officers worked together beautifully. The police were awesome. Hats off to them. We are really lucky to have such wonderful emergency service workers around here.“
Jenni does not know the name or condition of the young man but welcomed contact from his family should they read this article.
“He is so lucky. From where I was (the scene) was brutal. There was only a third of the car left upright and he was in that little slot. Luckily he was the sole occupant. No one else would have survived.“
