I work at the Homeless Persons Health Project, at the intersection of Highways 1 and 9. My co-workers and I ran out to the scene of the 21-vehicle accident. We encountered four men carrying the occupant of a burning Toyota Corolla away from his vehicle to safety. They came from the homeless encampment by the roadside. They saw the accident, ran to it, cut the man’s seat belt, and extracted him from his car. By the time we arrived, the car was in flames. No doubt without their quick, fearless, and heroic actions the man in the Corolla would have died. Other bystanders, including many from the homeless encampment, helped direct accident victims to safety. Often people in our society vilify “the homeless”. This is just a reminder: people who are homeless are still people, often very strong, courageous and resilient people. Thank you for saving a man’s life.
— Matt Nathanson, Santa Cruz
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