Road worker calls bystander who used tourniquet to save his life his "hero"

A road worker is recovering after his leg was completely severed when a vehicle plowed into him nine days ago. Recently, he got a chance to thank the bystander who saved his life using a simply technique. "That's who saved my life. He's my hero that day," Eric Walkenhorst said, as he pointed to Don Freeman III. The two men that fate brought met again at Bryan Hospitals West emergency room Friday afternoon. "I'm just glad he was there that day, because I wouldn't be here today," Walkenhorst said. Walkenhorst, 39, was setting up a mobile traffic sign on Old Cheney Road near 16th Street on Oct. 13. He had just turned on the sign when a driver plowed into him. "I was pinned between the car and the arrow board. And she gets out and I told her to move her car back now. I looked down and my leg was laying there," Walkenhorst said. Freeman III was across the street. He heard the crash and ran over to help. "A lot of blood. He was obviously in shock and needed help," Freeman said. Without any training in how to use a tourniquet, Freeman said he didn't think, just reacted. " I"I took my belt off and strapped it around his thigh and kept it tight," Freeman said. Rescue crews arrived just minutes later. They say without Freeman's quick action, they may have been too late. "In that amount of time, depending on the injury, if there's no bleeding control it could be crucial," Lincoln Fire and Rescue Capt. Brian Giles said. Bryan Health officials said this in another example of why it's important for everyone to know how to stop bleeding in traumatic injures. - Call 911. - Cover and pack the wound with a clean cloth. - Apply direct pressure, . -Use a tourniquet. "Anyone can do it. It doesn't matter the age. It doesn't matter what kind of background you have a medical background, if you don't. Anyone can help save a life and stop the bleed," registered nurse, Brittni Clark said. Walkenhort, a volunteer firefighter himself, is just grateful that the right person, happen to be in the right place, during the worst time. "If he wasn't there, I wouldn't be here today," Walkenhorst said. The driver Jaqueline Mills, 47, told police she looked away to check the other lane and collided with the road worker. Mills was ticketed with negligent driving.