A nurse who stopped to help after a serious crash on the Lake Ontario State Parkway is now sharing her story.
Ayanna Herrold, 17, of Hamlin is in critical condition with a traumatic brain injury after her car went off the road and crashed into trees Tuesday.
Michelle DiMartino says she was heading to work later than usual that day.
“I was going down the parkway, east, and I heard a big boom and I didn’t see anything,” DiMartino said. “Proceeded down a little farther, and seen a bit plume of smoke.”
DiMartino pulled over and rushed to help. Two other women joined her.
“I tried to flag someone down to help,” she said. “I saw this young girl in the car.”
The registered nurse of five years said if it weren’t for her training and the help of others, it could have been a different outcome for the victim.
“I’m not a trauma nurse,” she said. “I’m just thankful I knew enough of what to do. It’s not me alone. It’s the people around me that helped. Nothing about that morning was average for me. It was all different. I never leave at that time. I think I was just meant to be there to help out,” she said.
The family said they are grateful for the women who stopped to help, the first responders and the medical team at Strong. They are asking for the community’s prayers in Herrold’s recovery.
“It’s traumatizing,” DiMartino said. “My thought are with the family.”
The cause of the crash is under investigation.