When they saw a car on its side, three soldiers — traveling independently — pulled over to help. But when one soldier approached the vehicle, the threat changed. Suddenly, treating any injuries from the car crash became secondary to disarming a knife-wielding woman attacking her two children at the scene.
During his Monday morning commute to work at Joint Base Lewis-McChord in Washington, Sgt. 1st Class Jeff Hytower spotted the crash on Interstate 5 and pulled over to assist. Then he saw the weapon. “I just jumped up, it was just instinct,” the practical nursing specialist instructor said in an Army release published Wednesday, adding “that’s when the training kicks in.”
Another soldier, Sgt. Ricardo A. Nunez, a soldier in the 7th Infantry Division (Multi-Domain Command-Pacific), arrived at the crash and helped Hytower disarm and restrain the woman.
Meanwhile, Sgt. Alex McKay, a Washington National Guard medic, got to work caring for one of the injured children, who she later described as “very afraid, but also very, very brave.”
McKay said she did exactly what she trained for.
“As a medic, my number one priority was pulling the child a safe distance away from the immediate threat, where she would be safe and not have to see the aftermath,” she said in the release, later sharing gratitude for the other two service members.
“Also knowing that I can trust the service men and women to my right and left with my life and my safety,” McKay said. “If it weren’t for the quick reaction of Soldiers, this would have ended in tragedy. It makes me proud to wear the uniform.”
Hytower also credited the trio’s success to their training. “With both my Soldier and medical training, you’re taught to quickly figure out what needs to be done and prioritize what’s most important,” he said.
“When the situation suddenly changed, we were able to react quickly and make sure everyone was safe. A lot of that comes from the training we’ve received and being able to fall back on it without really having to think about it.”
According to local reports, both children were hospitalized but expected to recover from their injuries. Investigators said their mother, Janieka Ellington, 35, intentionally rammed the car into a concrete barrier while traveling southbound on the interstate, local news reported, and court records showed she may have experienced suicidal thoughts while under the influence. A judge has ordered a mental health evaluation and Ellington is being held without bail.
Eve Sampson is a reporter and former Army officer. She has covered conflict across the world, writing for The New York Times, The Washington Post and The Associated Press.
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