CARLSBAD, Calif. (KGTV) - For the first time since he suffered a life-altering injury on I-15, a motorcyclist was reunited with the man he calls his hero.
At a park in Carlsbad Wednesday morning, Chris Shumaker met and hugged Armando Saldana. Moments later, Saldana teared up.
“Are you okay?” asked Shumaker.
Several months ago, that was the question being asked of Shumaker.
Past midnight, he was on his motorcycle, on southbound 1-15, headed back to his Carlsbad home.
In the Fallbrook area, something hit him from behind.
"I just know I went down and tumbling across the freeway,” said Shumaker.
He landed in the middle of the highway.
“Then I tried to move … I realized my leg wasn't there. I kind of just screamed in my helmet,” said Shumaker.
A stunned Shumaker, his left leg sheared off under his knee, managed to crawl to the shoulder. Soon after, Saldana, 23, pulled over and walked up to him.
Saldana, an off-duty EMT, quickly went into action, calling 911, and applying several tourniquets to stop the bleeding. He and others who had stopped, kept Shumaker talking, trying to prevent him going losing consciousness.
“I felt safe. I was going to make it out of this okay,” said Shumaker.
Nearly three months later. Shumaker and Saldana were reunited.
I first learned on social media that Shumaker was hoping to find his good Samaritans. I found Saldana's identity in the crash report and set up a meeting on Thursday morning.
“As soon as I saw him I started tearing up … I'm an emotional guy. I’ve just never seen something so traumatic. To see him alive and doing better is so great,” said Saldana.
Shumaker believes Saldana’s actions, calling 911 and applying the tourniquets, likely saved his life.
“I'm eternally grateful. He stopped and helped a complete stranger. What he did was heroic,” said Shumaker.
According to the crash report, another good Samaritan actually followed the suspected hit and run driver, a motorcyclist, and helped the CHP make an arrest on DUI and hit-and-run charges.
A Gofundme campaign has been set up to help Shumaker with medical and other expenses.
