By Gustave Rehnstrom, Winn Army Community Hospital
SAVANNAH, Ga. — Returning from a routine medical transport in the Savannah area Sept. 28, two Soldiers from Winn Army Community Hospital stopped to assist after spotting a single-vehicle crash off southbound Interstate 95 near Exit 94.
Sgt. Connor Ruddy and Sgt. Matthew Dyke pulled over after seeing the vehicle off the roadway and partially submerged in water. Moving through muddy terrain, they reached the vehicle and found the driver inside.
The vehicle was locked, and the driver was unresponsive. Ruddy and Dyke assessed the situation and waited for law enforcement to arrive before forcing entry.
“We knew that we couldn’t break into this person’s car,” Ruddy said. “The car wasn’t unlocked and we could not get the driver to open the car. We knew we had to wait for someone with authority to open the vehicle with us.”
When a law enforcement officer arrived, Ruddy quickly briefed her on the situation. After learning the officer did not have a tool to break the window, Ruddy offered a multi-tool equipped with a window breaker.
“When she said she had no physical way to open the window, I knew I had my shears on me, which have the window breaker,” Ruddy said. “So I looked at her and said, ‘I have a tool that can open the window. I just need you to tell me I can.’”
With the officer’s approval, Ruddy fractured the glass. When the window did not clear completely, Dyke used his elbow to remove the remaining glass, reached inside and unlocked the door, giving emergency responders access to the driver.
“Once they broke the glass, it didn’t shatter completely,” Dyke said. “We needed a way to clear it. I had my trusty elbow and cleared the rest of it. I reached in and unlocked the door so we could help with the rescue.”
For Dyke, the decision to stop was simple.
“Once you see something like that, you know fundamentally that you have a duty to do something because it’s the right thing to do,” Dyke said.
Jim Ochoa, chief of Pre-Hospital Emergency Services for Fort Stewart-Hunter Army Airfield, said the Soldiers’ willingness to act reflects a commitment common among those who serve in emergency medicine.
“Service members, particularly medical personnel, have an intrinsic desire to serve the best interests of the community,” Ochoa said. “From the perspective of a first responder, the best patient outcomes occur when people take action to help those in need.”
That willingness to help was no surprise to Ruddy’s leadership in the Winn Army Community Hospital Department of Emergency Medicine. Melissa Hungerford, clinical nurse supervisor for the department, described Ruddy as a trustworthy and dependable Soldier who consistently demonstrates sound judgment, professionalism and compassion, particularly when others need help.
“He is the kind of person who does the right thing because it is simply who he is,” Hungerford said. “I am genuinely proud to have him as part of our Emergency Department team.”
Ruddy said their response reflects a responsibility that does not end when Soldiers leave the hospital or installation.
“As a Soldier, we have a responsibility to help those in need, regardless of what we’re doing at the time,” Ruddy said. “We saw the accident, and we were able to help. We were there to help.”
For Ruddy and Dyke, a routine trip back to Fort Stewart became an opportunity to put that responsibility into action — demonstrating that service does not stop at the installation gate.
