Medical Resident Steps Up At Crash Scene

By Ashli Sims, The News On 6

TULSA, OK -- Dozens of drivers saw a horrific crash unfold on Highway 75 on Wednesday night.  Some people stopped to help.  One had the training and the knowledge to save lives.  And now, some firefighters are calling a medical resident a hero.

As a medical resident, Audrey Stanton has gotten used to the frenetic pace of an emergency room.  There trauma comes to her.  On Wednesday night, she came face to face with her next emergency on her ride home.

"I was concerned seeing a car that was sitting. And then, she started swerving towards it. And, I knew she was going to hit it, directly on," said OSU medical resident Dr. Audrey Stanton.

The mauled remains of both cars gave you an idea the intensity of the impact of the crash. The doctor who's seen her fair share of accidents is still a little shook up.

"Well, it's a little different to watch it happen. I had at least a few seconds of knowing it was going to happen and there was nothing I could do about it. There was nothing any of us could do about it," said Dr. Audrey Stanton.

But Stanton did do something.  She pulled over and ran to the scene to help.

"I'm gonna stop. It's my job. It may not be in my department, but it's my job," said Dr. Audrey Stanton.

Stanton went to work, calling 911, checking on the five-year-old little boy, and even intubating one of the victims.

Stanton's actions caught the attention of some of the firefighters working the accident scene. One of them sent an email to The News On 6. He wrote:  "Without her heroic actions, I don't think the outcome would have been as good."

"I truly was just doing my job. I mean it's the kind of stuff we do here. It's a little different out there. But, I wasn't going to not stop. I have some knowledge; I'm not gonna not use it," said Dr. Audrey Stanton.

The Tulsa Fire Department wants to give her a Good Samaritan Citation.

But, Dr. Stanton is a good Samaritan who shakes it all off.  She's back at work, filling out charts, waiting for the next emergency.

The firefighter who wrote about Audrey Stanton says she's an example of the kind of talent the city will sorely miss.  Stanton works at OSU Medical Center.  If the hospital closes, she'll have to move out of the state to finish her residency.