‘I believe he was put there’: Kentucky nurse commended for helping car crash victims on scene

RACELAND, KY (WOWK) — An accident at an intersection in Raceland, Kentucky, that many people call dangerous sent four people to the hospital on Tuesday. A fifth person on the scene played a vital role in helping to save lives.

“You can’t really see heading towards Ashland because of the sun and the traffic and that’s what I was waiting to clear, then you just hear a crash,” Matt Stapleton says explaining the accident he witnessed at the intersection of Caroline Road and U.S. 23 Tuesday morning.

The crash put four people in the hospital, including teen brothers Cameron and Tristan Brewer and their uncle who was driving them.

Their cousin Lacasta Roar says all three were seriously injured, but their injuries are not life threatening.

“Dylan (the uncle) is out of surgery, his surgery went well. Cameron, he is doing well and he got some stitches. They are actually going to discharge him tomorrow. And then tristan, he will be non-weight-baring for a while until his pelvic region heals up,” Roar says.

All three are in recovery now and Roar says that’s thanks in-part to the man who jumped into action before paramedics arrived.

“You know, I’m a nurse. You can’t really move them out yet, especially by yourself. So, my thought was just triage. If there’s something I could do, what do I need to do first?” Stapleton says.

“Our family is very grateful that he was there and that he stayed there to be with them, to keep the boys calm,” Roar says.

Roar, Stapleton, and other community leaders say the stretch of road has been known as a “dangerous” spot for traffic for years.

Raceland-Worthington School officials say it’s one of the main access points for the school district and the state road department added turn lanes recently. However, school officials as well as Roar, Stapleton and others say they believe a stoplight should be added at the intersection.

In the meantime, Stapleton says he is “extremely happy to know that those boys and their uncle are going to be okay.”

Roar says her family and herself believes Stapleton was placed there by a higher power.

The family of the victims are also accepting donations to help with medical expenses. For anyone interested in donating, click here.

The driver of the other vehicle involved in the accident was also taken to the hospital in a personal car, according to Interim Raceland Police Chief Chadwick Spence. Their condition and identity are unknown at this time.