“The back tire was just slowing to a stop. I could tell this had just happened.”
It was the evening of Saturday, August 9 when Culinary Specialist 2nd Class Frank Sandoval, Naval Hospital Bremerton staff member,
came across the upside down Jeep off the shoulder of the freeway entrance from Trigger Avenue outside Naval Base Kitsap Bangor. 
He instinctively knew he was the first person on the scene. His military training and experience immediately kicked in and he quickly
parked his car and rushed to the driver’s rescue.
Through the car’s broken out windows, Sandoval said he could see the driver struggling with her seatbelt and was able to help her
free herself and pull her from the wreckage. 
By this point, a second motorist saw the accident and stopped to also render assistance. With another good Samaritan on scene,
Sandoval tasked himself with securing the car’s ignition and making sure there weren’t any gasoline leaks while he got the driver to
safety and checked her for injuries. 
Aside from some scratches, Sandoval said she was okay, with only some shock and confusion still lingering from the crash.
“She was shaking,” he said.  “I was shaking too.”
For some, a Navy cook probably wouldn’t be the first person they’d think of for medical evaluation, even one who worked in a Naval
hospital. Those people, however, aren’t accounting for the general military and first aid training all Sailors receive in the U.S. Navy.
Furthermore, during Sandoval’s 12 years in the Navy, he’s served as shore patrol, senior stretcher bearer, and several other secondary
duties that prepared him for the split second decisions he needed to make when faced with a scene like the one he found here.
“There wasn’t really much to think about beside ‘my God, someone’s in there,” he said.  “I didn’t want to be someone who just drove
by saying ‘not my problem’.”
Sandoval said he waited with the driver until Highway Patrol and paramedics arrived to take care of her. Throughout the whole ordeal,
he never got her name or the name of the other Sailor who helped. They were quite literally two strangers leaping to the aid of a third stranger.