Firefighter struck by car while rendering aid in 'serious, but stable condition' in ICU
A South Walton Fire District firefighter and EMT who was severely injured in a motor vehicle accident is continuing to recover from traumatic head and leg injuries.
Noah Collins was rear-ended near State Road 20 while he was on his way to work on Monday morning, according to a SWFD Facebook post. After the crash, he immediately began to render aid to the people in the other car.
Previous coverage: Walton firefighter struck by car while aiding crash victims, severely injured
In other news: Hit-and-runs, crashes involving pedestrians are up in Walton and Okaloosa
While he was administering care, both vehicles were struck by a third vehicle, leaving Collins severely injured.
He was airlifted to a local trauma facility, where he underwent multiple surgeries and was hospitalized for several days. As of Wednesday afternoon, he remained in serious, but stable condition in the Intensive Care Unit.
According to the SWFD, Collins began slowly showing signs of improvement within 48 hours of the accident. However, the severity and long-term prognosis of his injuries was still unknown Wednesday afternoon.
Collins and his family have received an "outpouring of support" from the community following news of the incident, the SWFD said.
Members of the Fort Walton Beach Professional Firefighters Local 2601 and Chick-fil-A of Fort Walton Beach brought meals to the hospital, and numerous people have come to visit while Collins continues to recover in the ICU.
“Thank you to our community for lifting Noah and the Collins family up during this difficult time,” the SWFD post said.
The SWFD plans to release more information about how the community can help assist the family in the coming days. Several neighboring first responder agencies also have expressed their support.
In a Tuesday Facebook post, the Walton County Fire Rescue said the incident which landed Collins, a former colleague and close friend to many at the agency, in the ICU is one of several bad wrecks in the area recently.
The incident is a reminder for drivers to slow down and pay attention to the road, the WCFR said.
“Please, please, please slow down, buckle up, and most importantly, keep your eyes on the road,” the WCFR post said. “Social media can wait, text messages can wait, phone calls can wait. Drive safe.”
This article originally appeared on Northwest Florida Daily News: Walton firefighter struck by car in stable condition in ICU
