Big Arm woman saves motorcyclist's life

By Jennifer McBride

Leader Staff

A Big Arm woman saved a motorcyclist's life after he lost a leg in a crash with a semi-truck last Thursday, July 12. The man, 27 year-old David McClure, is still in a Seattle hospital under guarded condition.

Montana Highway Patrol trooper Mike Gehl said the crash happened at 7:05 a.m., when McClure, driving northbound on Highway 93, tried to pass a truck pulling a trailer.

The motorcyclist entered the passing zone and moved into the southbound lane, where it was hit by the left-front wheel of the semi-truck. The semi-truck went into a wide, left-hand sweep before rolling into the ditch and colliding with a power pole, knocking out electricity to the area.

Gary Johnson, awakened by the loud sound of the crash, looked out the window to see McClure's Harley Davidson burning on his front yard. His wife, Lea, dialed 911 as Johnson, his sister-in-law and her husband rushed outside. They found McClure lying in the ditch with his leg completely severed. He called for Lea, who had a medical background, to come help him out. Although she hadn't practiced more than rudimentary first aid in 40 years — she sells life insurance now — it all came back to her then.

"It's like riding a bicycle," Lea Johnson said. "Some things you just don't forget."

Johnson, still in her nightgown, knelt next to the body and began pressing down on McClure's femoral artery.

To keep McClure conscious, Johnson said she and her sister got the young man talking.

"I kept him going, kept asking questions," Johnson said. "He was in a lot of pain and kept going in and out of shock."

She learned his name was Dave. He was 27, he played piano and he had a fiance. The couple are expecting their first child toward the end of the year. Initial reports stated McClure is from Pablo.

Meanwhile, a driver who stopped to lend assistance told Gary Johnson that he had seen the semi-truck driver crawling out of the wreckage. The truck driver who had been passed drove back to help after McClure's ill-fated attempt.

While her husband took care of the burning motorcycle, Lea Johnson took care of McClure. According to her, when the EMTs finally arrived, delayed by the tangled traffic along the narrow road, they wanted to airlift McClure directly from the scene, but electric lines kept the helicopter from landing.

The medics carefully loaded McClure into the ambulance, taking him to Big Arm. From there, he was airlifted to Kalispell Regional Medical Center. Johnson said the medics originally planned to send him to Seattle, but they were too worried that the longer trip would aggravate his condition.

Hours later, the Johnsons heard the good news — McClure was alive, his condition stable. He was going to be transferred to Seattle's state-of-the-art amputee ward as soon as possible.

The next day, the Johnsons drove up to Kalispell and met McClure's family for the first time. McClure's mother had been in Alaska, visiting her two daughters at the time of the accident. She hopped the first plane and arrived at her son's hospital before midnight that evening. McClure's father was in Afghanistan and, as far as Johnson knows, hasn't been able to see his son. For Lea Johnson, the sight of McClure's mother and fiance strengthened her peace of mind.

"It helped me the most to go see him in the hospital," she said. "I saw his mother and fiance. I was so glad that he wasn't alone."

Gehl, the highway patrol trooper who was called to the scene, credits two things with saving McClure's life — his helmet and Lea Johnson.

"She definitely saved his life," Gehl said.

Despite the Johnsons' efforts on behalf of the stranger who crashed near their house, they are still very uncomfortable with the phrase "heroes."

"It was something anyone would have done," Lea Johnson said. "We were just fortunate to be in the right place at the right time. I don't want to take recognition."

Gary Johnson agrees.

"We just did what somebody has to do when they find an accident," he said.

He credits the drivers who stopped to help, and the semi truck driver's quick reflexes.

"That probably did as much as anything," he said.

For the Johnsons, a few lessons linger after the crash. The first seems obvious.

"Everyone should get first aid training," Lea Johnson said, "Everyone needs to know what to do in a situation like that."

Second, Johnson hopes that motorcyclists will take from this the need to wear protective gear. She thinks McClure's motorcycle helmet and his clothing protected him. McClure was wearing a jacket his father had sent from Afghanistan at the time of the crash. It was made of tough, heavy material.

"It was almost like he was prepared for the crash," she said.

Other motorcyclists have not been so wary.

"I saw six motorcyclists in a half hour go by without helmets just the other day," she said. "I just couldn't believe it."

The lesson Gary Johnson walks away with is unexpected, given the scale of the tragedy. Johnson leaves with a sense of hope. "I definitely believe God was watching over him," he said, referring to the McClure. "It was a heck of an impact. A semi hitting a motorcycle, both of them going 60 miles an hour? Somebody had to intervene to keep that kid alive."

Interested parties can view updates on McClure's status at the family's Caring Bridge website. At Caringbridge.org, at the right side of the screen there will be a visitors link, where people can search the site for David McClure.