Robin Knapp
Enumclaw, WA
March 2, 2001

On March 2, 2001, driving north on Route 410 east of Enuclaw, Washington, Robin Knapp encountered what appeared to be a two-car accident. Robin pulled off the snow-covered pavement to offer help.

As Robin approached the scene, he saw one car in the ditch with a young female in the rear seat and another woman under the car. Robin initially thought the woman under the car was checking for damage. As he came up to the car the young woman, Karleen, frantically asked him to help her mother. He realized that the woman under the car, Rachel, was in fact pinned on her side with the vehicle's frame resting on her ribcage, collarbone, and head. Unable to lift the car himself, he enlisted the aid of two male passengers from the second car. With help from one of the men they were able to lift the vehicle, while Robin gave instructions to the other man to carefully pull Rachel clear.

Once Rachel was out from beneath the vehicle, Robin assessed her breathing and circulation. She had a weak pulse and was not breathing. Checking her airway, Robin found blood in her mouth. Upon clearing this obstruction, Rachel began breathing on her own and was soon coherent. Robin continued to direct the scene while applying pressure to Rachel's head wounds to stop the bleeding.

Rachel remembers Robin being calm, soothing, and in control. Robin addressed both women by their first names and continuously reassured them while organizing on-lookers to phone 9-1-1 and to position items of clothing to protect Rachel from the heavy snow. Thanks to Robin's confident manner Rachel's daughter, Karleen, was able to help care for her mother during the 25-minute wait for the paramedics.

Rachel was airlifted and hospitalized for 5 days with several broken ribs, a broken collarbone, and a broken neck bone. Robin accompanied Karleen to a local hospital where she was treated for shock. Martin, Rachel's husband, later remarked, "The real hero in all this is the guy from Puget Sound Energy."