Brian Gatdula spends his nights driving TheHandi‑Van, helping riders with mobility challenges get around Oʻahu. After one of those night shifts, the 35-year-old pulled over on the H‑1 near the Waimano exit to help at the scene of an earlier crash. As he tried to assist, a passing vehicle slammed into him, critically injuring him and costing him his right leg.
According to Hawaii News Now, Gatdula had just wrapped up his night shift and stopped around 10:30 p.m. on Sept. 21 to help the drivers when another car hit him and three others. He later told reporters he felt his leg go numb as rescue crews arrived, and early reporting noted that investigators had not yet determined whether speed or impairment were factors.
From The Shoulder To The Operating Room
Spectrum News reports that paramedics applied a tourniquet at the scene, buying Gatdula precious time before he reached the hospital. Surgeons ultimately removed his lower right leg, including the knee, after multiple operations. In all, he has undergone eight surgeries, including a later procedure to repair a torn ACL, and is now receiving care at the Rehabilitation Hospital of the Pacific.
New Future, Same Work Ethic
Richard Mole, the operations manager who hired Gatdula, told Spectrum News, “He’s very valuable because he has road knowledge,” and said the department is looking at ways to bring him back in a role that could include scheduling or customer service. To help bridge the gap while he heals, a family fundraiser is underway; the GoFundMe campaign shows roughly $19,240 raised toward a $70,000 goal to help cover medical expenses and day-to-day costs during his recovery.
Why It Hits So Close To Home
For Gatdula’s colleagues, his decision to pull over and help has stirred painful memories of past roadside tragedies. Mole lost his own son in 2018 after the young man stopped to assist a friend, a fatal collision later detailed by Hawaii News Now. As Gatdula focuses on rehab and learns what life looks like after the crash, his family is working out how he can put his skills to use in a new way while the community rallies around him.
