‘They’re heroes’
Published 11:49 am Wednesday, December 2, 2015
DWM nurse Amanda Morton holds up her injured finger as Chief Deputy Mike Lambert and an unidentified Alabama State Trooper listen to her detail the crash.
Two D.W. McMillan nurses are being hailed as heroes after pulling a man to safety and rendering aid following a crash Wednesday.
All were traveling U.S. Hwy. 31 when Lawrence Earl “Red” Nelson, who driving a Mercury SUV, had a medical event; ran across the median and overturned at the edge of the southbound lane near the Georgia Pacific
DWM nurses Lillian Heller and Amanda Morton talk after the crash victim was loaded into the ambulance.
mill.
It was just before 8 a.m. when Lillian Heller was on her way home from her shift while Amanda Morton was headed to the hospital. Both witnessed the crash and didn’t hesitate to help.
“These women, they are real heroes,” said Chief Deputy Mike Lambert with the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office. “The man is on oxygen, and it’s believed that he may have had a seizure.
“When those nurses saw what happened, they did what they do best,” Lambert said. “They pulled him out, gave him CPR and helped keep things going until the ambulance arrived.”
Nelson was transported to DWM, where he later passed away from his injuries, the Alabama State Troopers reported Wednesday afternoon.
Morton was injured during the rescue and required stitches to her finger.
When asked about the new hero status, Heller said, “I don’t know about all that. It’s just what we do.”
Troopers reported Nelson was not wearing a seat belt.
