A 19-year-old St. Louis-area man is piecing his life back together after a Halloween weekend crash that split his truck around a pole and briefly stopped his heart. A passerby jumped in to start chest compressions, and Pattonville Fire Protection District paramedics took over, performing an on-scene resuscitation that crews say saved him. Since then, he has undergone multiple surgeries and months of rehabilitation and is now being fitted for prosthetics as he works toward walking again.
According to First Alert 4, the crash happened on Oct. 31, 2025, on Highway 141 near Sport Port Road. A Missouri State Highway Patrol report states the driver, identified by family as 19-year-old Adin Smith, lost control and struck a pole. The station reports that bystanders described the vehicle as "split in half" and that Smith had no heartbeat when rescuers first reached him.
Paramedics' lifesaving response
In an interview with First Alert 4, Pattonville paramedics Geoff Vogel and Jordan Houston said they took over CPR after a bystander had begun compressions and continued until Smith regained a pulse. "It looked like two cars, but when you got close, it was one split in half," Vogel said. Houston called the outcome "nothing short of a miracle."
Long recovery and community fundraising
The family’s fundraiser says Smith spent 47 days in the hospital and underwent nine surgeries, ultimately requiring amputations of both legs before moving to a rehab facility. The GoFundMe set up by relatives lists his injuries and the reason for the appeal, and organizers say donations will help cover medical bills, prosthetics and therapy. The campaign has drawn multiple donations and messages from neighbors and friends.
District training and the role of bystanders
Medical experts and first responders note that quick chest compressions, early advanced care and coordinated transport can mean the difference between life and death. The Pattonville Fire Protection District has highlighted expanded training for firefighter/paramedics, including hazardous-materials technician courses, which local coverage has reported; see advanced hazmat technician training. For Smith and his family, meeting the crew months after the crash has been an emotional milestone as he continues his recovery.
