LUBBOCK, Texas (KCBD) – Lubbock County Sheriff Deputies Andrew Cavazos and Jorge Martinez were helping a stranded driver along I-27 at the 98th street overpass on Monday.<\/p>\n
Within seconds, the two deputies were pinned between their unit and a concrete barrier after a semi-truck hit the parked patrol car.<\/p>\n
Cavazos was left hanging over the side of a bridge and community members who saw the accident took no time to think and quickly acted.<\/p>\n
Sheriff Kelly Rowe said he believes the quick response from those Good Samaritans was the difference between life and death.<\/p>\n
\u201cLike I said, there is no question in my life, or in my mind, that lives were saved yesterday as a direct result of those citizens jumping in and helping,\u201d Rowe said.<\/p>\n
Kohl Stephenson and Wyatt Williams were right across the street when they heard the crash, and knew they needed to help.<\/p>\n
\u201cI told Wyatt that we needed to get that ladder out ASAP, and luckily enough I had my second guy with me,\u201d Stephenson said. \u201cSo we were able to open the door as soon as possible so we were able to get that ladder out and I just rushed over there as fast as I could.\u201d<\/p>\n
Rusty Geistweidt, the owner of Phil Kerr\u2019s Plumbing where Stephenson and Williams work, said the two men just did what they always do, which is helping others.<\/p>\n
\u201cI wasn\u2019t surprised at all being that they were there and everything, that would be something they would do and they wouldn\u2019t hesitate and I was very proud to see what they did,\u201d Geistweidt said. \u201cKohl is a great young man and he\u2019s a super plumber, and he\u2019s just a super person all together and he\u2019s just a super person all together and that\u2019s his personality so I expect that out of him, and it didn\u2019t bother me at all that he was using our ladders.\u201d<\/p>\n
Williams and Stephenson said they believe this event, which brought random community members together for one cause, shows the strength of Lubbock.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt was just good to see everyone come together, no hatred, no nothing, just coming together helping out someone in need,\u201d Williams said.<\/p>\n
Stephenson agreed stating sometimes the community needs to step up to help save lives as every officers does.<\/p>\n
\u201cThey put their lives on the line everyday, they put those vests on and know what is going to happen,\u201d he said. \u201cIt\u2019s nice to see we have a community that stands behind them, to help them and serve them as well.\u201d<\/p>\n
Sheriff Rowe said the two officers are thankful for everyone who stepped in to help.<\/p>\n
\u201cDeputy Martinez would like to thank the citizens on scene, and said, \u2018Thank you for helping my partner when I couldn\u2019t reach him,\u2019 and deputy Cavazos said, \u2018I appreciate everyone who helped, it could have gone a lot different without you there,\u2019 and I couldn\u2019t second that enough, no truer words were said,\u201d Rowe said.<\/p>\n
Deputy Cavazos and Martinez are now recovering at home and are expected to make a full recovery. <\/p>\n
The semi-truck driver Gregory Vaught was transported to the hospital with moderate injuries and later released.<\/p>\n
At this time, there have been no charges in the case.<\/p>\n
Sheriff Rowe said he hopes to personally meet the people who helped save two of his deputies, and encourages everyone that helped to give the Sheriff\u2019s Office a call.<\/p>\n
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