GLOUCESTER TOWNSHIP, New Jersey -- Law enforcement officers must be ready for life and death situations -- on or off-duty.
Whether having just graduated the academy or a 10-year veteran, they must rely on our training and experience to make split-second decisions.
That's just what rookie New Jersey State Police Trooper Kenneth Minnes did when he used a makeshift tourniquet to help save a man’s life after a car crash on March 5.
At approximately 2:36 p.m., Minnes encountered a serious motor vehicle crash on the Atlantic City Expressway in Gloucester Township while he was off-duty.
When he arrived, he discovered a car that traveled off the road and struck several trees. Prior to his arrival, a passing motorist removed the occupants from the vehicle, but he knew the victims needed to be moved away from the smoking car. With the assistance of passing motorists, Minnes moved the victims to a safe location before the vehicle became fully engulfed.
Although both victims sustained serious injuries, the trooper determined that a tourniquet needed to be applied to the passenger's heavily bleeding arm and applied it to the victim's arm. Using a piece of a tree branch and a tee-shirt, Minnes created a makeshift tourniquet to apply to the victim's arm.
A short time later, advanced emergency personnel arrived and airlifted the occupants to Cooper Medical Center.
Despite just graduating the State Police Academy last year, Minnes displayed the poise of a veteran and his decisive actions helped save the victims' lives.
Information provided by the New Jersey State Police
