Two Santa Clara County correctional deputies are being hailed as heroes after their quick actions saved the life of a woman following a motorcycle accident in San Jose. The incident happened near Junction Avenue and Brennan Street, where the deputies found the injured motorcyclist after she was thrown from her bike, reportedly after being cut off by a car.
Deputies Walter Valle and Darwin Cano were on duty, traveling to a County fuel station on a Sheriff's Transportation Division bus, when they witnessed the aftermath of the accident, according to a report by the Santa Clara County Sheriff's Office. Noticing the severity of the woman's injuries, with her lower left leg severely damaged and significant blood loss, Deputy Valle applied a tourniquet, a critical first aid response they both learned just two weeks prior.
"I was so blessed that my partner and I were at the right place and at the right time to help Miss Owen," Deputy Valle told the Sheriff's Office. Their calm demeanor helped prevent the victim from hyperventilating or losing consciousness as they awaited emergency services.
Sergeant Mario Perez expressed pride in the deputies' heroic efforts. While holding Owen's hand until the San Jose Fire Department arrived, the deputies also assisted in transferring her onto a gurney. She was transported to the hospital where doctors successfully saved her leg, and she is expected to recover fully.
