MANATEE COUNTY, Fla. — Most days, Alex Quintero is the person answering the call when someone needs help. But after witnessing a serious crash on Interstate 275, the Manatee County 911 telecommunicator suddenly found himself on the other side of the emergency.
Quintero, a 911 telecommunicator and Shift Training Officer for Manatee County, was off duty and driving home on Sept. 27 when he witnessed a crash on I-275 near mile marker 2, according to information provided by Manatee County.
“It was a Tesla, went from the highway straight off to the left into the embankment and into the cable guard rail,” Quintero told Tampa Bay 28. “I passed the accident, stopped, called 911 immediately as I got out of my truck.”
That call put Quintero in an unusual position. Instead of answering 911, he was calling.
WATCH NOW: Off-duty Manatee County 911 telecommunicator helps crash victim on I-275
“Hey, I'm on 275,” Quintero can be heard saying in the 911 call. “275 mile marker, like 2 right after getting on from 75 going north.”
Quintero began assessing the people involved in the crash while relaying information to the dispatcher.
“I got one injured. Let me see where he's bleeding from,” he said during the call.
Quintero told Tampa Bay 28 that he soon realized the man's hand had been severed.
“I saw that his hand was completely amputated from the wrist down,” Quintero said.
According to Manatee County, Quintero's training and experience as a telecommunicator helped him recognize what needed to be done before emergency crews arrived.
During the 911 call, the dispatcher asked whether anyone had a long, thick piece of cloth. Quintero instead found something else he could use.
“Yeah, I just found my belt,” he can be heard saying.
“That's when I went back to my truck, grabbed a belt that I happen to have, went back to the patient, tied the tourniquet,” Quintero told Tampa Bay 28.
For roughly eight minutes, Quintero relayed information about what was happening at the scene and helped communicate updates to the people involved in the crash.
Manatee County said Quintero used the belt as a tourniquet to help control the man's bleeding before Manatee County EMS and North River Fire District arrived. The county said the patient was then transported to a hospital.
When asked whether he ever second-guessed his decision to stop, Quintero didn't hesitate.
“No. As soon as I saw the accident and as I was driving by, I saw how badly damaged the car was, I immediately knew I was like, ‘Hey, I'll stop, see if I can help in some way,’” he said.
Quintero said he hopes others would make the same choice if they found themselves in a position to help.
“I would hope that anybody that would do that was in my position, you know, if they have the ability to help just to, you know, stop and help,” he said.
For Quintero, helping people during an emergency is normally something he does through a headset.
“We are here to help save people's lives,” he said. “We're the first, first responders. As soon as someone calls, we're the ones here that answer.”
This time, the call for help didn't come through his headset. He was already there to answer it.
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Tampa Bay 28's Haley Zarcone lives and works in Manatee County. It’s her mission to connect with her neighbors and help them find answers to the issues they see every day.
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