MIAMI (WSVN) - On the anniversary of Miami-Dade Police Maj. Ricky Carter’s crash that resulted in the loss of both his legs, he reunited with those he says saved his life.
Carter reunited with the doctors, first responders and the good Samaritans at Ryder Trauma Center on May 7, a year after a motorcycle crash that nearly killed him. The incident costed him his legs, and months of surgeries and recovery.
On Monday, Carter said he remains humble.
“It’s very humbling because, as a police officer — I’ve been an officer for 23 years — I’m always the one to help everybody else,” said Carter. “Now, to be in the position to be so vulnerable where I need the help of others, and they stepped up. They’ll say they’re very humble, they’ll say they’re just doing their job. It’s more than that because all these people here saved my life.”
Last week, Carter also reached another milestone: walking without assistance at his daughter’s commencement ceremony.
“It was amazing,” he said. “It was my daughter’s most important day.”
Vianca Diaz, a registered nurse who stopped to help Carter last year, also spoke at the news conference.
“From the very second that I got into work that day, I was convinced that I was meant to take that way to work for a reason,” said Diaz.
Thalia Rodriguez, who was 17 years old at the time of Carter’s crash, also stopped to help. She was able to meet Carter for the first time since the incident.
“I’ve been wanting to meet you,” Rodriguez said to Carter.
“This is long overdue,” Carter responded. “This is actually amazing because, unfortunately, I don’t recall the accident, so I’m only going by what people told me about how it occurred. I heard about how you helped save my life, and I never had the opportunity to thank you.”
Following Carter’s recovery, doctors at Ryder Trauma Center began the “Stop the Bleed” campaign, which is focused on training the public on different techniques to control bleeding.
For more information on the “Stop the Bleed” campaign, click here or contact them at stopthebleed@jhsmiami.org.
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