This week's Someones 2 Know are being honored by the American Red Cross in their Everyday Heroes program. The non-profit encourages the public to nominate individuals, groups or companies who are making a difference in northern Nevada.
Here now a look at why Reno Police Officers Chris Caprioli and Scott Nelson won the law enforcement award;
"Essentially the front of the car hit him, knocked him to the ground,” explains Officer Nelson, as he and Officer Caprioli, stand on the corner of 7th and Sutro Streets, and remember the early evening when they saved a life in the line of duty. "...and the car traveled in a westbound direction into the intersection."
They recall for us, what they saw as they came upon the scene of a man who had been hit, dragged and pinned under a car.
Officer Chris Caprioli was first to arrive;
"His face was very pale, didn't look like he had any life in him. I went down to check for a pulse, couldn't find any pulse. His head was somewhat canted,” Caprioli demonstrates “And twisted like this."
That's when Officer Scott Nelson arrived.
"And he handed me his knife,” explains Caprioli “ 'cause we could see that it looked like something was constricting his airways. I was able to start ripping his shirt, cutting his shirt off of him."
The officers straightened the man's neck and he gasped for air.
Then -
"How can we get the vehicle that's on him,” Officer Nelson remembers, “How do we get it off of him?"
A car jack - offered by a Good Samaritan - helped lift the weight off the man, and soon the ambulance came.
"We got news that his injuries ended up being very minor,” Officer Nelson tells us.
Nothing short of a miracle considering how the very unlikely accident transpired. The victim was hit by his own car while he was working under the hood;
"We believe he manipulated something, which caused the car to go into drive."
The reflective vest the man was wearing at the time, helped tell the story;
Officer Nelson describes what he saw smeared on the roadway, "Like a glow, like a strip, of glowing material that began where he hit the ground all the way where he came to rest."
The officers never heard back from the man they saved, but say it's all in a day's work, and neither expected any recognition for it.
"It's just one of those things,” shrugs Officer Caprioli. “Right person on scene at the right time - and then, you might get an award."
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If you would like to nominate a northern Nevadan for the `American Red Cross Every Day Heroes Award - or learn more about the program - we have a link set up for you below
https://www.redcross.org/local/nevada/about-us/our-work/nominate-a-hero.html
