Urgent care technicians leap into action on way home from work to treat car accident victims

After a long day caring for patients at UCHealth Steele Street Medical Center, two float pool urgent care technicians found themselves responding to a roadside emergency.

Carmen Vigil and Colt Wiebold came upon a car accident near the medical center in Denver’s Cherry Creek neighborhood. A car was mangled, oil was pooling on the pavement and three injured adults were trapped inside.

Without hesitation, they both pulled over.

“We were heading home separately, but we instantly recognized each other as coworkers when we arrived at the scene,” Vigil said. “Colt and I had only worked together once before this.”

There were bystanders, but no one with medical training was present to take charge. Vigil and Wiebold quickly stepped up when they realized the situation was critical.

“I’ve worked car crashes before as an emergency medical technician, and since I didn’t see emergency medical services on the scene yet, I knew I needed to stop and help,” Vigil said.

“It was a chaotic scene when I pulled over, and I knew I needed to act fast,” Wiebold said. “It wasn’t a typical situation for me since I work in the urgent care setting, but my training helped me feel calm and focused on supporting the victims.”

As the pair started checking on the injured people, the driver mentioned that they had back pain and a loss of sensation in their legs. To prevent further injury, Vigil, kneeling in a puddle of oil, stabilized them where they had crawled out of the car.

Wiebold then turned to the rear seat passenger. He checked their spine, cleared them, and carefully applied a traction splint.

“They looked scared and sounded worried about their injuries,” Vigil said.

“We focused on keeping them calm and safe. Colt was great at delegating tasks to bystanders who wanted to help.”

Vigil and Wiebold stabilized the injured people and led the situation for more than ten tense minutes before the police and emergency medical service arrived.

Once the emergency medical service team took over, Vigil and Wiebold gave detailed reports to the police. They were on the scene for more than an hour.

“I’m thankful we ended up in the right place at the right time,” Vigil said.

Paige Burton, a clinical nursing educator, praised the pair for their off-the-clock support.

“Their quick thinking, clinical expertise and selfless response reflect the highest standards of patient care and a true commitment to our community. Their actions embody UCHealth’s values of putting patients first, acting with integrity and striving for excellence.”