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Andruss’ recreational vehicle was broken in two by the force of the collision.
Washington State Patrol trooper Guy Gill said Monday that it’s nothing short of amazing that Andruss “still finds it within himself to render aid in this situation.”
Andruss, 50, was headed west in his 22-foot RV about 4 p.m. Saturday to take it to an RV storage facility. He lives with his wife off 58th Street in southeast Olympia.
Gill said that it’s likely that Andruss’ work at the scene helped save the woman’s life. Andruss has been trained to aid trauma victims, and he immediately assisted her during the precious minutes it took before responding Lacey firefighters arrived.
“She was not in great condition,” Gill said. “… I tip my hat off to him. I think that lady is very lucky. Really, you couldn’t find someone that’s better to get in a collision with other than him.”
The crash split the cabin portion of the RV from the rest of the vehicle. Andruss said he was stunned; he was suspended in the air by his seat belt before he could extricate himself from the vehicle to see what he could do to help.
Andruss said that when he got to the woman, she was stuck in her vehicle. He stabilized her head, tried to calm her down and applied a compression bandage to her arm, which appeared to be broken.
The driver, 44-year-old Leona Bolieu, was flown to Harborview Medical Center in Seattle after the crash, Gill said. By Monday, she was in good condition at the hospital, and Gill said she is expected to make a full recovery.
A 2-year-old boy riding in the back of the woman’s car in a car seat was uninjured, Gill said. Bolieu is the 2-year-old’s nanny, Gill said.
Gill said the cause of the wreck is under investigation. Bolieu was not under the influence of alcohol or intoxicants at the time of the crash, he added.
Andruss insisted Monday that he was just doing his job. “It’s the same as being at work, except I wasn’t getting paid,” he said.
Lacey Fire Division Chief Steve Brooks said all EMTs must complete 100 hours of training in rendering emergency medical care, including using defibrillators, conducting patient assessment and administering certain medications.
Brooks, an EMT himself, said he was not surprised by Andruss’ actions. He said anyone with EMT training can tell stories about times they were off-duty when their training came in handy. And all EMTs swear an oath to try to render aid whenever they are able, he said.
“He did exactly what should have been done,” Brooks said.
Brooks said it took “jaws of life” machinery to remove the woman from her vehicle.
Gill added that the 2-year-old most certainly would have been seriously injured had he not been in a car seat.
“Car seats save lives,” Gill said.
Andruss said he has been a firefighter/EMT in Bellevue for about nine years. He said he was not seriously injured but was sore after the crash, and he had to miss one of his regular shifts Sunday.
Gill noted that the area of Yelm Highway where Saturday’s crash occurred has been the scene of a higher number of crashes this summer. He said Andruss is to be commended for his ability to render aid at the scene Saturday.
“What a great job he did,” Gill said.
Jeremy Pawloski: 360-754-5465
jpawloski@theolympian.com
