Courtney Riggle said she and Swati Davidson don’t feel they acted extraordinarily Saturday when the two Northwestern students administered first aid to an Evanston boy hit by a Jeep until paramedics arrived.
“We didn’t do anything that no other Good Samaritan would have done,” said Riggle, an Education junior. “You wouldn’t have left a little boy lying in the street.”
According to Lt. Dan Mangas of the Evanston Police Department, a white Jeep Wrangler was heading north on Ridge Avenue south of Noyes Street when it hit the 6-year-old. The boy had run out in front of the vehicle, Mangas said.
The boy, an Evanston resident whose name was not released, was taken to Evanston Hospital. Mangas said the boy was treated and released within three hours.
Riggle and Davidson were running on Ridge Avenue when they saw the Jeep drive past, heading north.
“We saw it slam on its brakes, and we heard screaming,” Riggle said.
Riggle said she and Weinberg senior Davidson approached the accident site and saw the boy lying unconscious on the ground.
“I just tried to make sure there wasn’t any active bleeding,” Riggle said. “I administered emergency first aid.”
Riggle said although the boy appeared to have bitten his tongue, there were no severe wounds. She said as soon as she touched his neck to check his pulse the boy regained consciousness.
As he began to kick and scream, Davidson and Riggle attempted to comfort the boy and his mother. Davidson attempted to speak French with the boy’s mother, who did not speak English.
Paramedics arrived within five minutes, according to Riggle.
Davidson estimated that 15 to 20 people congregated around the accident site as paramedics loaded the boy into an ambulance.
“We didn’t have to make a statement because we didn’t actually witness the accident,” Riggle said. “There were lots of people there who actually witnessed the accident. The best that anyone could figure out was that he probably just ran out into the street.”
Police did not ticket the driver of the Jeep, a 17-year-old girl whose name was not released.
Witnesses told police the car was not speeding and “had no chance to stop,” Mangas said.
