NORFOLK, Va. — Two Hampton Roads residents reunited Wednesday morning, after first meeting during an interstate crash near the HRBT last month.
On the morning of Sept. 26, a car collided with James Machen’s on I-64 westbound. When Machen, 24, got out to see what happened, he saw the other driver, Beverly Hardy, in cardiac arrest.
“I had a real bad sharp pain in my left arm,” Hardy told 13News Now exclusively Wednesday. “All I know is I passed out. I don’t know anything after that.”
Machen, a Virginia Air National Guardsmen and former volunteer firefighter, sprung into action, starting CPR on the woman who crashed into him.
“My vehicle spun and I immediately saw she was unconscious,” Machen remembered. “I had to scramble out the side of the vehicle, and I found that she was unresponsive, so I called 911 and started CPR.”
Norfolk Fire-Rescue officials honored Machen with a lifesaving award on Oct. 30, saying his quick thinking may have saved Hardy’s life.
Lt. Jerald Richardson, who responded to the scene, said, “If it wasn’t for him, she probably wouldn’t be here. He bought us some time.”
Capt. Robert Jones added, “For us to get on scene, especially on the interstate, it’s probably a good five, six minutes to get there. That would’ve been five to six minutes where her heart was not beating.”
The emergency crews said they welcomed the opportunity to see Machen and Hardy again, saying they don’t often see patients after incidents.
“This is the first time I’ve ever met a cardiac arrest patient that’s walked out of a hospital,” Jones said. “This gives meaning to why we provide and why we do what we do.”
Richardson added, “I’m honored. We don’t always get good outcomes, so this makes me appreciate my job.”
Machen and Hardy were both grateful and relieved to see each other again as well.
Machen explained, “I’m very happy to see her. I was worried about her for a long time.”
Hardy added, “I wanted to meet who saved my life that day, and I met him.”
If you're interested in becoming hands-only CPR certified, visit the City of Norfolk's website to request a free training or contact Norfolk Fire-Rescue.