Army veteran recalls helping flip over SUV involved in Daytona Beach crash
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. - An Army veteran did not hesitate to help Tuesday afternoon when she witnessed two SUVs collide in Daytona Beach.
"It was a bit surreal. It happened so fast," Amy Ridgely said.
Daytona Beach Police shared a traffic camera video showing the driver of a gray SUV running the red light and entering the path of a white SUV at the intersection of International Speedway and Fentress boulevards.
The impact caused the gray SUV to roll over. Within seconds, people, including Ridgely, came to their help.
"As a veteran, I took an oath to protect and defend, and two of the Army values that we live by are personal courage and selfless service. I saw an opportunity to help somebody in need, and I had to go," Ridgely said.
The video shows Ridgely and about eight others, including the passenger of the white SUV involved in the crash, helping flip the gray SUV back on its tires.
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"They were able to walk away from the vehicles, amazingly, so I'm glad everybody was safe," she said.
In a Facebook post, Daytona Beach Police called the actions of the Good Samaritans "the spirit of Daytona Beach."
Ridgely, who completed a tour in Iraq, says she just happened to be in the right place at the right time.
"There's too much hate going on right now, so the more we can help each other and be there to support each other, I think that's the best way to do it," she said.
A total of four people were involved in the crash, according to police: two in the gray SUV and two in the white SUV. Not one of them required transport to the hospital, and there were no serious injuries, according to police.
Officers cited the 31-year-old driver of the gray SUV for failing to stop at the red light.