When Adrian Tuck started his morning commute from Niwot to Boulder on Tuesday, his frustration with the bumper to bumper traffic turned to concern when he noticed a woman pulled over on the Diagonal having a medical emergency.
Tuck said that from about 10 cars back he could see the woman’s arms out the window spasming. He watched as drivers would slow down and look at the woman before driving away.
As Tuck approached the vehicle, he slowed down to ask if the woman needed help. The woman, unable to speak due to her condition, nodded. Tuck promptly pulled over and ran to her car. With a dispatcher on the phone, Tuck helped the woman lower her seat and held her steady to prevent self-harm and keep an open airway.
Within minutes, first responders were on the scene, and Tuck stepped away. But the shock of knowing how many people turned a blind eye stayed with him.
“The surprising thing about all of that for me were all of the people who chose not to stop,” Tuck said. “You know you might lose 15 minutes of your day, but if someone’s in trouble, you should stop. That was the unsettling bit of it for me. I imagined if it was me or my wife or one of my kids, and people just drove by.”
While Tuck voiced understanding for not fully knowing what other drivers saw the woman do or say when they passed by, he argued that it’s always better to check on someone who may be in trouble, even if you are worried about how you can help.
“At any point, this could be you, or you could be around someone this is happening to,” Tuck said. “If you see anyone who is in trouble and your temptation is to ignore them, fight that temptation.”
The British military veteran who served for seven years encouraged locals to get certified in first aid in the case of an emergency. He said what’s most important for the public to remember when helping another is to “not become a casualty yourself.”
Tuck said anyone worried about administering care in an emergency also should remember they are only “one call away from an expert.”
“I felt very well supported by the 911 dispatcher who was talking me through it. That was really good. They were calm, professional and knew their stuff,” Tuck said. “I never at any point felt as if I was anything other than the temporary custodian of the situation.”
The woman who received care from Tuck could not be identified by the Daily Camera.
