First on the scene at fatal wreck: ‘I was there for a reason’

When Brian Watkins lifted the airbag, he could see the driver was severely injured.

The dashboard was “up on her lap and above her body,” pinning her in the wreckage.

But she was able to talk. Barely.

Watkins assured her that somebody had called EMS. He then asked Andrea Dewey to remain as calm as possible and stay still.

Last Saturday, Watkins, the father of a son, a Gulf War veteran medically retired from the Army and a volunteer with Bluffton High School’s JROTC, was on I-26 in Calhoun County on his way home to Bluffton with a van full of cadets after a visit to the Carowinds theme park.

Minutes earlier, the Nissan Rogue Andrea Dewey was driving with two passengers — her daughter Emma, and Emma’s close friend Grace Sulak, both 14 — had been hit by a pickup truck. The Rogue left the road and struck a tree.

“She has a white vehicle barreling down on her, she looks over her shoulder to see if it’s clear to go to the right lane,” Watkins said on Tuesday. “Before she could even turn half way — (judging from the way) her head was positioned and the airbag and the damage to her face — that’s when she got struck from the rear end.”

Grace was in the back seat.

Watkins checked her pulse. He found none. He knew she was gone.

Emma was in the passenger seat.

“I leaned through the window, and I asked the mother, ‘Mom, what is your daughter’s name?’ ” Watkins said.

After a long pause, Andrea answered.

“I looked at Emma and said, ‘Emma this is Brian Watkins. I’m a search and rescue person with the state of South Carolina. ... EMS is on the way. I need you to stay still.’

As Emma squeezed his arm, Watkins could see an injury to her face.

At first, he did not recognize the people in the car.

Watkins’ wife is close friends with Andrea Dewey, and Brian knows her well. He also knows Emma, Grace, and Grace’s family, who live just a few houses down from the him.

But none of that registered. He was busy aiding the injured.

“The driver started yelling at me, saying, ‘Brian, Brian, it’s Andrea Dewey, your neighbor. Brian, is Grace OK?’ ”

He couldn’t bring himself to answer.

He stayed close until emergency personnel arrived, providing whatever comfort he could.

Two of the JROTC cadets Watkins was driving home acted heroically, he said. They helped clear the highway of cars so emergency vehicles could get through.

“They did remarkable,” Watkins said. “They were composed. They were professional. They didn’t have to get involved but they did. They were exceptional in what they did.”

He does not count himself a hero, though he is struck by finding himself in that place at that time with those people.

“People have told me I was there for a reason,” Watkins said. “What’s the coincidence of me being there from (Bluffton development) Woodbridge, them being my neighbors and also knowing all three of them?

“That’s what gets me.”

This story was originally published May 10, 2016 at 6:46 PM with the headline "First on the scene at fatal wreck: ‘I was there for a reason’."