For Immediate Release
Date: May 6, 2016

City workers came to the aid of the victim of a serious accident in Bonaventure Cemetery yesterday.

An elderly gentleman who was visiting the cemetery stepped out of his vehicle, neglecting to put the vehicle into park. When the vehicle began to roll, the gentleman attempted to stop the vehicle but instead lost his footing, fell to the ground and sustained a serious injury to his arm when the vehicle rolled over it.

A Cemeteries crew happened to be working in the area of the accident and had just shut down a wood chipper when they heard the gentleman’s calls for help. The crew responded immediately.

Ricky Birdsell, a Maintenance Worker for Cemeteries, removed his shirt and wrapped it around the man’s seriously injured arm and applied pressure to slow the heavy bleeding, while Armond Overton and Marcus Zeigler communicated with 911. Tru Bui, the Crew Chief, rushed to the front gates of the cemetery in order to guide the ambulance to the correct area of the cemetery. The entire crew worked together calmly and efficiently to tend to the injured man until paramedics arrived. The victim remains in stable condition at Memorial University Medical Center.

"I want to thank these clear-thinking City professionals who came to the aid of one our citizens during a time of distress," said City Manager Stephanie Cutter. "Their actions at Bonaventure Cemetery are another example of how our employees not only exhibit excellence in service delivery, but in how they care about the citizens of Savannah."

Attached photo:
From left to right: Tru Bui – Crew Chief, Armond Overton – Medium Equipment Operator, Ricky Birdsell – Maintenance Worker, Marcus Zeigler – Temporary Worker