Stories From the Streets: Physical and Psychological Treatment After a Motor Vehicle Accident

Geha Interchange - Recently, a family of six was involved in a serious multi-vehicle crash with a pedestrian. United Hatzalah volunteer EMT Michael Cohen was on his way from his home in Bnei Brak to Zichron Ya'akov when the car accident occurred right ahead of him.

When Michael saw people running in the same direction, he stopped his car on the side of the road to see what happened and rushed over to where the accident had occurred. He found an injured man lying face down on the asphalt. He turned the man over onto his back and performed a quick vital check and, realizing the man was pulseless, Michael alerted United Hatzalah’s dispatch and then initiated CPR, performing chest compressions until an ambulance crew arrived to continue resuscitation efforts and transferring the man to the nearest hospital. 

Michael then gave a ride to the family that had been involved in the accident since their car had been too damaged to drive. On the way, he noticed the children were oddly quiet and had a hard time communicating, prompting him to request a volunteer from the United Hatzalah’s Dispatch and Command Center’s Psychotrauma and Crisis Response Unit. Michael stopped at a gas station and waited until Liza Kramer, a therapist from Ra’anana, arrived at the scene and provided psychological and emotional stabilization to the children.

“When I spoke to the children, I could see they were terrified,” says Kramer, recounting the incident. ”The young boy had seen a lot and had a lot to process. He told me he was replaying the incident in his mind and that he felt bad for the injured individual involved. I comforted him and explained that it is natural to feel that way and that he is not to blame. The girl explained she hadn't seen much but she knew what happened and had similar feelings. After I was done with the session, I spoke with the parents, advising them to consider having their children treated by a therapist until the flashbacks and stress fade.’’ 

Michael then drove the family to their destination and continued on his way to Zichron Ya’akov. After the incident, he reflected on what has happened

"I've been a volunteer EMT for more than two decades and have responded to many emergency calls,” says Cohen. “At today's incident, I noticed the children struggling to communicate and immediately understood the children were in a state of shock. I couldn't let them go home without receiving psychological first aid since I knew the trauma might have long-term consequences. As a school principal, it was particularly important for me to help them, however, I knew my own experience wasn't suited to provide them with the full level of psychological care that they needed. I think it's amazing that we have so many volunteers that can provide medical and psychological care in response to different kinds of incidents.”

Raphael Poch is the international media spokesperson for United Hatzalah.