Passers-by rally to aid of crash victim

A man from Janesville, Iowa, has many thoughtful strangers to thank for gathering his belongings that became strewn about the highway in a one-vehicle crash on Saturday.

According to a report from the Missouri State Highway Patrol, a 1998 Toyota Tacoma, driven by 20-year-old Jesse W. Salmon, ran off the roadway and overturned. Many of his belongings were thrown from the vehicle, ending up scattered about across both southbound lanes of the highway.

Witnesses stopped, among them Robert and Kim Baake, of Holden. Kim Baake said that they, along with their three grandchildren, were traveling to Lamar for a family reunion, when a vehicle a few cars ahead of them rolled.

After Jesse W. Salmon of Janesville, Iowa, was injured in a one-vehicle rollover crash on U.S. 71, about four miles north of Nevada, people at the scene gathered his belongings for him as emergency workers transported him to the hospital. Salmon suffered moderate injuries in the crash, which occurred at about 12:20 p.m., according to a report from the Missouri State Highway Patrol. Photo courtesy Kim Baake

They and several other drivers stopped. While Kim stayed with the grandchildren and called 911, Robert ran to assist the driver. Using a red towel that happened to be in her vehicle, Kim signaled to other drivers to stop. We stopped, as well as several other drivers, both south bound and north bound.

"Evidently, he had luggage and personal belongings in the back of his truck and it was thrown from the bed of his truck and smashed to the ground. There was debris strung all over the highway, and into the median. People started picking up this kids personal possessions, family photos, and clothing, and returning it to a truck box that my husband had opened up for people to put the items in. It was amazing the people that came to aid in this accident," Kim said in an e-mail on Sunday.

Robert said that and that there were a couple of ladies sitting with Salmon while waiting for the ambulance, who were keeping him calm and telling him to stay awake.

Salmon was transported by ambulance to Nevada Regional Medical center with moderate injuries.