Drive to work anything but routine for three foremen
When most of us drive to work, it is a relatively boring affair. That wasn’t the case for three men heading to work at the K+S Potash Canada Legacy Project on Sunday night.
Francis Chaisson, Ryan Pope and Andrew Quigley were driving north on Highway 11 when they witnessed a vehicle rolling across the highway.
“We saw a vehicle go through a cloud of dust,” said Chaisson, who works as a general foreman. “We put on our flashers and came to a stop at a safe location and gave directions to a gentleman there to call 911. I asked Andrew to help me at the vehicle, which was just coming to a rest.”
As they reached the vehicle, Chaisson and Quigley did an assessment check to make sure the vehicle was not leaking fuel or on fire. Once they saw there was no immediate danger, they asked the driver if he needed help.
“He was trying to get out of the vehicle but the roof was crushed. Andrew tried to open the door but the gentlemen was wrapped up in a seatbelt and couldn’t get out of the vehicle on his own,” Chaisson said.
Using his utility cutter, Chaisson cut through the seatbelt to free the man.
“Other people there joined in the rescue and they tried to reach in and grab him,” Chaisson said. “We told them not to touch him because we were not sure of his injuries. Once the seatbelt was free, he was able to get out on his own.”
Using their safety training, Chaisson, Quigley and Pope helped the man mobilize himself, and walked him away from the vehicle. At that moment, Chaisson realized that there was a second vehicle involved in the collision.
“I asked the crowd if there was another vehicle and they pointed down the highway. The van was in the median but there was no driver,” Chaisson said. “There was a man standing next to me and he said that he was the driver of that van.”
Everyone did what they had to in order to help that young fellow.
The man didn’t sustain any injuries. There were no other occupants of the vehicle besides a dog, which escaped the crash unharmed.
EMS and RCMP showed up soon after.
“We even made it to work on time,” Chaisson said.
Upon telling the story at work, the workers’ supervisors told them to go home and relax. All three men were paid for the evening. They will also be recognized for their efforts at the accident scene by their employer for helping the driver with safety skills they learned on the job.
“We had to do the same thing and react the same way we would at work,” Chaisson said. “Everyone did what they had to in order to help that young fellow.”