Amongst all the stories in the news designed to excite and agitate us over people, places, and things this Monday, one story is making the rounds that should instill some appreciation for the work our public servant-protectors do every day.
On Thursday, the Ohio State Highway Patrol (OSHP) honored Piqua Post Trooper Eric Devers at a ceremony in which he was recognized for his efforts in saving a man’s life back in April.
From the Piqua Daily Call:
“He certainly didn’t think the actions of that day would come to this,” Lieutenant Joseph A. Gebhart of the Piqua Post of the OSHP said about Devers. “He’s just doing what he does.”
Devers received a Certificate of Recognition on Thursday afternoon, an honor not bestowed lightly within the organization, for his actions during an injury crash on April 28, 2015. The crash took place on Interstate 75 northbound, just south of Sidney in Shelby County, at approximately 3:23 p.m. A semi had driven through a guardrail and down a steep embankment off the right side of the road.
“There were no emergency vehicles that had arrived yet,” Gebhart said about when Devers arrived.
A shortened video of the event was shown during the ceremony, showing Devers running out of his patrol vehicle and down the side of the embankment to the driver, who was John Robert Depue, 53, of Charlotte, Mich. Depue became unresponsive and quit breathing shortly after the crash occurred.
While Devers was off camera, audio revealed Devers yelling, “Don’t die on me!” multiple times. In between counting chest compressions while doing CPR, Devers can also be heard emphatically saying, “Come on, come on, open your eyes!”
During the incident, Devers also gave instructions to a passerby motorist who stopped to assist in the incident. Once the injured driver begins breathing again, Devers is heard repeatedly saying, “Stay with me.” Then, with relief in Devers’ voice, the video ended with Devers saying, “He’s breathing.”
It took 12 minutes for medical personnel from the Sidney Fire Department to arrive to the scene, who took over helping the injured driver. The Sidney Fire Department then transported the driver to Wilson Memorial Hospital where he stabilized and was eventually released before going home and making a full recovery.
“Twelve minutes is a very… long time,” Gebhart said.
“It’s just very humbling,” Devers said.
“It was a good feeling just knowing he was going home to his friends, his family, his loved ones. That’s why we do what we do.”
Yes, that is the job that law enforcement does. Officers maintain the peace, and they save lives. You may not like it when you catch their attention, but they are doing what the law requires them to do. Often, they do more than many of us would or can do ourselves. While others may run from trouble or do little more than pull out their smartphones to record it, officers head into the fray to do what they can to keep things from getting worse. There’s a reason why “never forget” is a permanent reminder on this blog’s sidebar.
Yet the lifesaving actions that these men and women perform every day are lost amidst the exceptions of which the media and the Left attempt to direct our attention. Police officers are not perfect, but they as a whole should not be regarded as our enemy. As the above example shows, among those same officers who are the focus of so much resentment and hate could be the one (or the many) who will be there for you when something goes terribly wrong.
Then you may come to realize that to them, no matter who you are…your life matters.
