Nurse helps victim in major Asheville crash

ASHEVILLE, N.C. (FOX Carolina) - An Upstate nurse needs your help after lending a helping hand to a passenger involved in a wreck this week.

The five-vehicle crash shut down I-40 for hours on Monday.

North Carolina Highway Patrol said a tractor-trailer overturned and caught on fire.

Officials say one person was airlifted and several others were taken to the hospital by ambulance.

“When we pulled up to it and saw the flames and the explosions I just thought there’s nothing we can do,” Susan Lower said.

Susan Lower, who lives in Anderson, was passing through Asheville on Monday when she drove up to the fiery crash.

“Up ahead in our lane was a car that was turned over on its top and people were rushing towards the car to get the people out,” Lower said.

“They were asking if anyone had blankets or towels that we could use. I went back to my car and got a blanket out and took it up there. They assisted the man out of the car and then he walked over to his wife who they had just pulled out of the car. I could tell right away that her condition was critical,” Lower said

Lower, who worked as a nurse for over 30 years said she comforted the woman until first responders got there.

“I sat beside her and held her hand and talked to her just trying to keep her conscious and with us,” Lower said, “As they went to put her on the backboard she was just gripping my hand so tightly that I pretty much had to pry my hand away from hers,” Lower said.

She hopes to reunite with the woman she helped.

“So that I can just take a deep breath and a deep sigh of relief and say I’m so glad I was there for you and I’m so glad you’re doing okay,” Lower said.

We are working to help Susan reunite with the woman she helped and to get an update on how she’s doing.

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