NOAA Corps Officer Helps Injured D.C. Metro Rail Riders at Scene
Peter Fischel
NOAA Fisheries
June 25, 2009 — Like most people on Washington’s Red Line Metro train Monday, June 22, LTJG Victoria Zalewski expected her trip downtown to be like any other weekday commute — until she heard the crash and felt the jolt.
Zalewski, a NOAA Corps officer serving with the National Marine Fisheries Service, was riding in the train that was struck from behind by another Metro train, which ended up on top of the other.
LTJG Victoria Zalewski, NOAA Corps. Photo credit: NOAA.
At the time, the passengers in her car were a bit shaken, but okay. They were wondering what had happened as the conductor passed rapidly through the car heading towards the back of the train. Passengers from the rear of the train started moving forward through their car, some of them screaming.
Zalewski saw a very upset young woman asking for shirts or clothes that could be used as bandages and asked her if she needed any help. When the woman said, “It’s really bad, there are people crushed and people dead,” Zalewski knew it was time to quickly put her medical and emergency training into action.
As part of her NOAA Corps training, Zalewski had received medical and fire emergency training to prepare for emergencies aboard NOAA ships. She expected to use her skills a 100 miles offshore in the Gulf of Mexico, not on the train tracks a couple miles from NOAA’s Silver Spring campus.
“As I made my way towards the back of the train, I could see that things were really messed up,” said Zalewski. “There were three injured people laying on the ground and a gentlemen standing behind a pile of rubble helping someone. Although rescue units had begun to arrive, the scene was chaotic, and they could not reach the hurt passengers.”
Working with three or four other passengers, Zalewski began helping the injured on the ground while trying to avoid the still-electrified third track rail. The first person she treated was an older man with a bleeding head wound and aching back. Next, she helped a young couple, both of whom were in serious pain with compound leg fractures. It was only later that she realized the injured had been thrown from the train car overhead that was now perched on the roof of the forward train.
As medical responders tried to reach her area from the other train track, they were forced to cut through a 12-foot barbed-wire fence. Zalewski and a group of passengers shielded the injured people from the flying debris as rescue crews sawed through the fence. Once medical personnel were on scene, Zalewski moved down the tracks to attend to other victims.
Zalewski then started working with a former Army medic to help treat a seriously injured young woman. With massive deep cuts to her arm, leg and chest, the woman was barely holding on, lapsing in and out of consciousness. Zalewski and the medic were able to stabilize her condition and immobilize her injuries. They then helped transport her for further medical attention. Their efforts allowed the limited number of first medical responders to attend to other critical patients who were desperate for help.
As emergency authorities brought the crash scene under control, Zalewski was finally able to “regroup” and help less critically injured passengers. She comforted some by calling their relatives on her cell phone to let them know they were okay. After an hour and a half, Zalewski was finally able to call for her own ride and leave the scene.
Sometimes tragic events bring out the best in people. Luckily for injured Metro rail passengers that day, NOAA’s Zalewski was there, ready and able to make a difference.