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Shelley Osterloh ReportingSome Davis High School students are grateful to be alive tonight after their vehicle rolled five times before landing in a canal. I-15 drivers witnessed the horrible accident. Some stopped to help and one is credited with saving a young man's life.
The six students were returning from a leadership conference at Utah State University. The driver is a student body officer, the passengers, all members of the Davis High football team.
Wednesday afternoon 17-year old Candice Peterson was trying to get five friends back in time for a football game. As she tried to pass a semi she lost control of the vehicle.
Candice Peterson: "I remember swerving when we started to go in the fishtail, and then starting to rollover."
The Honda CRV rolled five times, ejecting two young men who were not wearing seat belts --- one of them was riding in the back cargo area. Joe Nalder -- a Plymouth volunteer firefighter --was saw Paxton Jensen ejected from the car as it rolled.
Joe Nalder: "And it probably launched him about sixty feet in the air. He hit once and then I lost sight of him, ‘cause a truck went by. I looked around and I couldn't see him. I started looking through the water and I saw something in the water, but there was no movement and think I could make out the outline of his body. And he was a good eight inches under water, face up. Then I saw him start to breath and I thought, I gotta get him out of there. So supported his neck and his back and lifted him up enough to breathe."
Paxton suffered neck fractures, a scalp injury, lost part of his ear and broke bones in his arm, but is expected to recover. He is conscious and talking, but sedated for pain.
The Jensens and all of the families are grateful to those who helped, but especially to Nalder.
Kathy Jensen, Paxton's mother: "He is our hero. Absolutely he is our hero."
Corey Carroll, who was wearing a restraint, received only minor injuries. He hopes others will remember to wear seat belts. He says kids never think it could happen to them.
Corey Carroll: "You know invincible. But it happens in a second. Next thing you know, you're crashed."
As for the other three teens in the accident: Ryan Hill is hospitalized with serious internal injuries, but is expected to recover; Landon Pitcher has a fractured hip; and Kendon Saez has minor injures. A remarkable outcome, for such a serious accident.
