PAROWAN — A Parowan Police officer was recently recognized for helping save the life of a 19-year-old woman who was injured in a rollover crash earlier this summer.
Officer Thomas Hart received a Lifesaving Award certificate during the Sept. 14 meeting of the Parowan City Council.
Parowan Police Chief Addison Adams said that on the evening of July 7, Hart had been among the first to respond to the scene of a rollover on Interstate 15.
“Officer Hart arrived and assessed the needs of several of the victims, some of whom were beyond help at the time,” Adams said, noting that two of the vehicle’s five occupants died as a result of their injuries.
“Officer Hart used his training in applying life-saving techniques to one of the victims,” Adams added. “She survived this horrific crash as a direct result of his actions.”
Also speaking during the award presentation was Utah Highway Patrol Sgt. Scott Mackelprang, who also responded to the scene of that same crash. He recounted Hart’s actions in greater detail.
“I arrived on scene of the chaotic incident at approximately 20:46 hours with Officer Hart right behind me,” Mackelprang said. “As I began to survey the scene, Officer Hart immediately began contacting the victims, who were being attended to by passing motorists.”
One of them was a 19-year-old woman who had been ejected from the car and had what Mackelprang described as an open fracture of her left femur.
Hart used his knife to cut the woman’s pant leg and reveal a wound that was bleeding profusely.
“Officer Hart removed the tourniquet which he had on his person and applied that to effectively stop the bleeding, 11 minutes before the first ambulance arrived on scene,” Mackelprang said.
“Even with the complexity of the scene and multiple patients involved, Officer Hart maintained his bearing,” Mackelprang added, noting that Hart continued to assist in triaging and rendering first aid to other victims until he could be relieved by medical personnel.
Mackelprang said that as he followed up with the 19-year-old’s family during her recovery, he was told how critically important Hart’s lifesaving measures had been in saving the woman’s life.
“I was told numerous times that medical professionals had advised them that the tourniquet that was applied to the victim’s leg in a timely manner to stop the bleeding saved the victim’s life and made it possible for her to reach a trauma center where necessary treatment could continue,” Mackelprang said. “The victim and her family expressed to me their overwhelming gratitude for the officer who had the knowledge and mental clarity to give a young woman a second chance of life.”
Mackelprang said he also nominated Hart to receive a similar commendation award from the Utah Department of Public Safety, which is scheduled to be presented later in the fall in Salt Lake City.
“Officer Hart’s willingness to promptly respond to a critical incident outside of his area of responsibility, to assist UHP troopers that day was greatly appreciated during on-scene investigation,” Mackelprang said.
“Officer Hart’s actions will have a far-reaching impact on those involved and their families,” Mackelprang added. “His actions that day exemplify what public service is and reflect positively on himself, Parowan Police Department, the Department of Public Safety and the law enforcement community as a whole.”
“I can’t say enough about what he did that day,” Mackelprang said. “Very few times in my career have I had families express the level of gratitude that they had for the actions of an officer during a critical incident. That’s what I saw here, so hats off to Officer Hart for his actions.”
As previously reported, Hart has been with the Parowan Police Department for almost one year. He and fellow rookie officer Kayla Dobrinski were sworn in last Nov. 10, along with Adams as the department’s newly hired chief.
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