A Calgary man who shattered his legs, one ankle and his jaw in a truck crash last week is hoping to give thanks to the people who saved his life, but he has to find out who they are first.
On Dec. 30, Mike Kelly, a part-time truck driver, was driving a five-tonne truck on the Trans-Canada Highway toward Medicine Hat, Alta. when he collided with a stopped transport vehicle roughly 20 kilometres east of Brooks. The 52-year-old was left to support his own body weight within the toppled rig as blood poured from him in -30 degree Celsius conditions.
âYou start calling out: âHelp, help, help, anybody there?â and then you rest and youâre looking down on the passenger seat and itâs just a steady stream of blood,â Kelly told CTV Calgary.
Kelly says a man quickly approached the truck to help him out.
âHe climbed in, sat on the dash, wrapped me in blankets (and) stopped the bleeding,â Kelly said. âHe leaned against me and he used his body to support me because I couldnât.â
A second man came into the picture shortly after with more blankets. The two men put Kellyâs gloves and hat on him to keep him warm and kept Kelly alert by asking him questions.
Once emergency crews arrived, Kelly was transported to a nearby health centre, where he would later be moved to a hospital in Calgary. Kelly says he is in constant pain and doesnât know when heâll be able to leave the facility.
Kelly doesnât remember much about the men who saved his life except they were headed to the Shuswap or Okanagan regions of British Columbia. Heâs hoping to one day meet them under less dire circumstances.
âTo be able to say thanks, and to say it in person,â Kelly said.
Anyone who knows the identity of the men is asked to contact CTV Calgary and the information will be shared with Kelly.
With a report from CTV Calgaryâs Kathy Le
