Good samaritans critically injured helping at scene of crash
(WJBK) - Three people are still hospitalized including a teenage high school track star after being critically injured in a horrific crash Sunday.
Two of the victims were good Samaritans who stopped to help other crash victims before another car slammed into the scene.
A Monday morning mass at U of D Jesuit High School included prayers for 16-year-old junior Sean English. The star student-athlete was trying to be a Good Samaritan Sunday morning when he was hit by a car and badly hurt on I-96 near the Davison.
"He was lying on the ground - his mother was over him," said Michigan State Police Trooper Patrick Arena. "I saw the injury to his foot and also one to his head."
Arena responded to the scene where a Jeep carrying six people had flipped on its side. Sean English and his parents were driving by on their way to mass when they witnessed that accident and stopped.
Sean got out to help while another Good Samaritan, Henry Ford pulmonologist, Dr. Cynthia Ray - also got out of her car to help.
That was when another car driven by 17-year-old Keith Martin crashed into them.
"I went back to my patrol car - I got my first aid kit," Arena said.
Trooper Arena saw that Sean's foot was mangled. He was bleeding profusely while Arena went for his first aid kit and his tourniquet.
"I told him - this is going to hurt going on because it is and I introduced myself,” Arena said.
Arena says Sean even shook his hand. The trooper is now being called a hero for saving Sean's life.
"From my standpoint, I did my job the way state police trained me to do it," he said.
As for Dr. Ray, she remains in critical condition as does the teen driver, now on life support, who crashed into the good Samaritans.
Henry Ford hospital released a statement expressing sadness and sympathy - calling Ray a stellar physician and kind, compassionate colleague.
And back at U of D Jesuit - where the motto is "Men for others" - that mass was for Sean English.
"There's no greater love than sacrificing yourself for another," the priest said during mass. "Sean was trying to help a man when his body was crushed by another accident and he lost his foot."
His foot was amputated, the track and cross country runner now has a steel rod in his leg and a broken pelvis -but the always positive, popular teen is already taking visitors.
"We're all going to wrap our arms around him and we know he's going to pull through," said Chris Charboneau, U of D music director.