HERO BOY SAVES MOM AND SIS
Two Other Boys: Good Samaritans
by Fred Hernandez
It happened on the night of September 12th on Highway 96 about ten miles East of Silver Cliff, Colorado. A vehicle was traveling westbound when it went off the right side of the highway and flipped, end over end, before coming to a full stop upside down. Inside the heavily damaged vehicle a mother, who was driving, and two children in child safety seats; a boy of six and a baby girl of two, were trapped. Luckily all were wearing seat belts.
That is when our boy hero, Zayden Lazear (emphasis on age six), went into action. Somehow managing to extricate himself out of his child safety seat and its belt, Zayden also managed to get out of the crushed vehicle. He then made his way up to the highway…where he stood in the dark waiting for a passing car in order to seek help. The first vehicle to come along had a mother and two boys ages 15 and 11. While the boys jumped out to assist the child on the side of the road, the mother started calling on her cell phone for emergency help. In the meantime, the boys went to the site of the accident to comfort and assist the ones still trapped.
Soon Colorado State Patrol, Custer County Sheriff’s Office, Wet Mountain Fire Department and Custer County EMS were on the scene to give assistance. Miraculously, no one was injured.
So it was unanimously decided, by responding emergency personnel, that the six-year-old hero, Zayden Lazear, should rightfully be recognized for his fast thinking action in the face of such a traumatic experience. What’s more the Good Samaritan boys, Gus Stanley age 15 and his brother Monty Stanley age 11, would also be honored for their timely and willing assistance.
In the words of Colorado State Patrol Captain Rich Smith, “There is so much unfavorable and negative news these days that a story like this one deserves to be on the front page of newspapers.” In fact, Captain Smith’s thoughts as he approached the crushed vehicle was that the worst might have happened. Thankfully it was not the worst-case scenario.
A grand celebration was planned for the recognition event which was held on Thursday, October 4th at 4 p.m. The boys would be given a helicopter ride around Custer County landing at the Custer County EMS HQ. In addition, there would be a ride down Main Street in the fire engines and EMS vehicles, in a convoy, with sirens blaring and lights flashing to celebrate their fame. The celebration would be capped off with an awards ceremony at Tony’s Mountain Pizza with a “smorgasbord” of Pizzas and salad, more than enough to feed the roughly seventy persons who attended the event.
Everything went according to the plan except for the helicopter ride which had to be postponed due to the high winds on the day of the event. Instead all three boys were given gift certificates by Royal Gorge Heli Tours, one of the sponsors of the event, so they will take that helicopter ride sometime soon, weather permitting. Walmart also gave gift certificates. The Custer County Sheriff’s Office, the Wet Mountain Fire District, Custer County EMS and Colorado State Patrol all chipped in for the plaques that were presented to each of the honorees. Dr. Patty Erjavec, in the administration of Pueblo Community College has offered a scholarship for Zayden. Upon hearing of the event and its details Dr. Erjavec said “it touched my heart.” She went on to say, “Any young person bold enough to do the right thing deserves every opportunity for a great education.” In addition, Dr. Erjavec has offered Zayden, at no charge, a course called SPLASH, a summer college for kids, every year until he
graduates from high school.
It was a happy occasion at Tony’s Mountain Pizza function room converted into a newsroom studio as teams from Channel 5 News and Fox News Channel 21 came to cover the event for television and interview the main actors in a drama that had a miraculously happy ending. Three cheers for Zayden, Gus and Monty for a job very well done.