A 17-year-old Arnold student who stopped to help an unconscious driver on U.S. Route 50 is now being celebrated with four citations, including one from Maryland's governor. Kelly Shields, a senior at Broadneck High School who studies nursing, used training from her Center of Applied Technology South coursework to stabilize the driver until first responders arrived, and she says she simply did not want to leave the victim alone.
Shields received four citations for tending to the crash victim on Route 50, according to capitalgazette.com. One of those citations came from Gov. Wes Moore, and all four were presented during a Board of Education meeting on Wednesday, the outlet reported. As WBFF also noted in its coverage, Shields lives in Arnold and was driving on Route 50 when she came upon the crash.
Training From the Classroom Put to Use on the Road
The 17-year-old said she drew on CNA training to stabilize the driver, who was unconscious, until emergency crews reached the scene, per citizenportal.ai. The outlet reported that Shields learned the skills she relied on at the Center of Applied Technology South, where she is working toward her nursing credentials. The Anne Arundel County Board of Education recognized her on Oct. 20 for stepping in to help, the same report noted.
The Baltimore Sun separately confirmed Shields' age and her focus on nursing studies, reporting that the 17-year-old discussed her coursework after the honor. Her CAT South training is part of a broader path toward certified nursing assistant and certified clinical medical assistant certifications, work she has been pursuing alongside her studies at Broadneck High School.
A Senior on Her Way to School
Shields has said she told an officer at the scene that she was a high school senior on her way to class when she stopped to help. That detail underscores how routine the morning had been before she encountered the crash, and how quickly her classroom training became real-world first aid.
Shields' willingness to stop and the skills she brought with her earned her four citations, including one from the state's governor.
