Accident victim Jamie Ohl thankful for rescue by EMTs

Jamie Ohl is especially grateful this Thanksgiving.

As the WSU senior was traveling from her home in Richland to Pullman on May 30, her 2002 Ford Escape went off Highway 26 at Dusty and rolled on its top. LaCrosse and Colfax rescue voluneers worked approximately 40 minutes to extricate her from the inverted vehicle.

On Friday afternoon, Ohl, accompanied by her parents, Phil and Diane Ohl, visited the EMTs at both departments. To show the family’s appreciation, they donated $1,000 to each department.

Ohl, who was 21 at the time of the accident and is now 22, said she doesn’t remember much about the wreck.

Ohl said she left home about 4 a.m. Ohl said she was going to work that day at Pullman Building Supply and arrived at Dusty about 7 a.m.

“I fell asleep, and I vaguely remember waking up driving on the shoulder,” she said Friday.

She said she over corrected twice and then knew the SUV was going to roll.

LaCrosse EMTs were notified first, then Colfax was called. Colfax EMT Scott Kruse said it took them 17 minutes to get to the scene. Four EMTs worked on getting Ohl out of the vehicle. A MedStar helicopter arrived and flew her to Spokane.

Ohl said she doesn’t remember a thing until a couple of days later when she woke up in Providence Sacred Heart Medical Center in Spokane. She was in the intensive care unit for a week. Her hospital stay was followed by a week and a half in rehabilitation at St. Luke’s. Her total hospital stay was 35 days.

Ohl sustained extensive injuries to her left shoulder, right knee and back. Doctors also discovered after she was in the hospital for three weeks that both her hands were broken and needed surgery to repair all the broken bones in them as well.

Kruse said although Ohl can’t remember anything after the accident, she was mumbling to them. She also corrected them several times when they called her by the wrong name, but Ohl said she has no memory of that either.

“It puts everything into perspective,” Ohl said as she visited with Colfax EMTs. “I’m thankful to be here. I’m thankful to you and to LaCrosse. I have so many blessings.”

“These guys are all heroes,” she said. “It’s nothing short of a miracle that I’m here.”

Phil Ohl said they have a strong church family.

“There’s been lots of prayers, and we have lots of friends and family,” he said.

“She’s our little miracle girl,” he said. “We’re all thankful.”

“God bless every one of you,” she said.

Her father said a big advance in her recovery recently has been the ability to get out of a wheel chair and walk.

Ohl plans to resume studies at WSU in the Tri Cities next semester and, because she has switched majors, will have two more years of college before she gets a degree.