University Police Department officers (from left) Gage Vance, Will Anderson, Lt. Anthony Hernandez and Matt Defore put out flames and got help to assist two car accident victims last weekend near campus. Officer Jay Plunk (not pictured) also helped with the rescue. UM photo by Kevin Bain.
OXFORD, Miss. – A combination of alertness and quick action helped several University of Mississippi police officers save the lives of two car accident victims last weekend near campus.
The one-car accident did not happen on campus, and the victims were not Ole Miss students or employees, but the UPD officers responded to the sound of an accident and helped avert a tragedy when the car started to burn with two people trapped inside near Old Taylor Road.
Officer Matt Defore was assisting fellow patrolmen Will Anderson and Gage Vance on a traffic stop about midnight Saturday (Aug. 11) on University Place near Oxford-University Stadium when the trio heard an abrupt, loud crash.
“The noise was very loud and we immediately recognized that it was likely to be a 10-50 (car collision) somewhere in the immediate vicinity,” Defore said. “Officer Vance asked me to break away from the traffic stop and investigate in order to locate the source of the noise.”Defore traveled to the Old Taylor Road exit ramp and scanned for any signs of trouble. At first, he didn’t see anything unusual. Then he noticed a cloud of dust.
“I became concerned that the cloud was created when the vehicle left the roadway, but I could not see a vehicle anywhere,” Defore said. “I drove halfway down the exit ramp to look more closely at the woodline. As I got closer, I noticed a black male climbing out of the ditch, exiting the woods and screaming hysterically.”
Behind the unidentified man, Defore saw a vehicle that had crashed into several trees before coming to rest against another tree. The car was so heavily damaged that he could not tell what color, make or model it was. The officer also noticed another person in a contorted position inside the vehicle.
“After I radioed UPD dispatch the location and told them to send Emergency Medical Services and Oxford Police Department personnel, I looked through the car window and saw that there were two patients, a black male and a black female,” Defore said. “Each person’s eyes were shut, they had blood all over their faces and neither of them was moving. I could also see the male’s teeth were knocked out and resting in his mouth, along with what appeared to be a broken jaw.”
At this time, small flames appeared around the front of the vehicle, Defore said. Concerned about the amount of fluids coming from the vehicle and the probability the blaze could spread and pose immediate threat to the passengers, Defore attempted to open the passenger door but couldn’t.
“I again radioed UPD dispatch to inform them of the two patients’ condition and also requested Oxford Fire Department personnel come for fire suppression and extrication,” Defore said. “About that time, Officer Vance arrived on the scene.”
Defore contacted UPD Lt. Anthony Hernandez and asked him to bring a fire extinguisher. Hernandez arrived quickly and put out the flames before the fire could spread.
“Officer Vance, Lt. Hernandez, Officer Jay Plunk and I tried to open the front driver’s side door, but it was also entrapped,” Defore said. “We worked on the door and were eventually able to force it open enough to get some access to the victims for Emergency Medical Services. Both of them were squirming, trying to free themselves, but we advised them their safest option was to remain still and allow the fire department to extricate them.”
Both OPD and OFD personnel soon arrived, followed by EMS staff from Baptist Memorial Hospital-North Mississippi. OPD took over the scene and began to work the crash investigation. OFD used hydraulic tools to remove the trapped passengers, who were transported to the emergency room. Vance, an Iraq veteran, assisted with stabilizing the patients.
“The ordeal was definitely out of the ordinary for us, as we don’t have a lot of high-speed traffic accidents on campus,” said Defore, who is also a member of the Lafayette County Fire Department. “Had we not been at the right place at the right time, there’s no telling how long the accident would have gone unreported. I’m just glad that we could help in such a time-sensitive situation.”
UPD Chief Calvin Sellers said he is extremely proud of the five officers and their actions.
“We’ve got some really good people working at the University Police Department,” Sellers said. “The general public doesn’t often get a chance to see what they do. This could have been really, really bad. I’m just proud that they were there to assist.”
Neither OPD nor Baptist Memorial Hospital personnel could release the victims’ identities or conditions.