WHEATFIELD, N.Y. -- A 48-year-old Wheatfield bicyclist was in the wrong place at the wrong time when he was struck and seriously wounded by a motorist this morning.
Thankfully, three others were in the right place at the right time.
A nurse, a firefighter and a mail carrier stopped to give aid to Curtis J. Senf, of Steig Road, shortly after he was struck while riding south at 7:30 a.m. on Niagara Falls Boulevard by a northbound minivan as the driver, Christopher Steggs, 19, of Grand Island, made a left turn into the parking lot of the Scottish Inn.
"The outcome would have been much different if people didn't stop and take an active role," Niagara County Sheriff's Capt. Gregory Schuey told The Buffalo News.
Senf also was fortunately wearing a helmet, Schuey said.
Following the crash, Senf was lying unresponsive on the shoulder of the roadway when three Wheatfield residents, all on their way to work, got out of their cars: Bergholz Volunteer Assistant Fire Chief Mark R. Stevens, pediatric nurse practitioner Denise M. Piechowski and mail carrier Barry W. Eleey. The three immediately rendered aid and began performing cardiopulmonary resuscitation as they waited for rescue crews and a Mercy Flight helicopter to arrive.
Stevens is a third-generation firefighter, a volunteer for the past 13 years and an emergency medical technician with 12 years of experience. He said he happened to be on the scene today because he was out on a call with the department earlier in the morning and decided to stay up and leave for his M&T bank job 15 to 20 minutes early.
He said he keeps a fully stocked medical bag in his car, as well as oxygen.
Stevens said the three who stopped to help almost lost Senf when the bicyclist stopped breathing.
"But everything worked in sequence the way it should. Everything clicked," he said. "It was 100 percent working together as a group. Without them, I don't know what the outcome would have been. Someone there was able to start CPR while I got out a bag mask right away."
Stevens said the rescue underlines the importance of everyone needing to know CPR.
"You don't know if it's going to be your neighbor or a family member," he said. "You might need it someday, and if you can perform it early the survival rate increases tremendously. Without chest compressions and oxygen, [Senf] may not have survived." In this case, he said, "everyone knew what to do."
Senf was flown to Erie County Medical Center where he was in guarded condition in the intensive care trauma unit this evening.
While thankful for the rescuers, the sheriff's captain said he was disappointed with how many people didn't even bother to slow down.
"It's great we had as many witnesses as we did who stopped and told us what they saw," Schuey said, "but there were just as many people who saw it and drove around it and kept going. They didn't even stop. They watched it happen and just kept on driving."
Schuey said Niagara Falls Boulevard was busy with rush hour traffic when Steggs tried to turn into the parking lot.
"He was northbound in the center median waiting to turn left into the Scottish Inn parking lot," Schuey said. "The two southbound lanes stopped to open up a spot for him so he could slide in and turn. As he made his left hand turn, he doesn't realize that there is a bicyclist riding up on the left hand shoulder heading southbound. The bicyclist then hits the side of his minivan."
Schuey called the crash "an accident" and said deputies believe Steggs was unable to see Senf coming up on the shoulder.
An investigation into the crash is continuing.
The Niagara County Sheriff's Office was aided at the scene by state troopers and North Tonawanda police, Adams Volunteer Fire Department and Twin City Ambulance.
Stevens said he was glad he and the two others were able to help.
"Sometimes you can't save someone and you get a terrible feeling in the pit in your stomach," he said. "But when you can save someone else's life, that's the joy. All you need to do is save one person and it will put a smile on your face for the rest of your life."
Copyright 2012 - The Buffalo News, N.Y.
McClatchy-Tribune News Service
