Joy Warner helped save a persons life just over a year ago along County Road 28 just south of Peterborough.
But she still carries the guilt of wishing she could have done more.
Warner who is from Peterborough, her brother, her daughter Dezyree and an employee were in Cobourg on Sunday, August 7, 2022 for a celebration of life for 19-year-old Neil Henley who died in the collision.
It was on August 6, 2021, when five teenagers from the Cobourg area drove to Peterborough for the evening.
Three of the people in the vehicle were 19-years-old and had planned to go to the casino.
The plan was to have the other two, who were 18-years-old and to young to go to the casino, drive around in the vehicle owned by one of the people going to the casino.
When the three friends were done at the casino, they’d call them for a ride home. The one person was supposed to be the designated driver The plan went horribly wrong.
At around 11 p.m. emergency services responding to a collision on County Road 28 at Ward Street.
“A pickup truck traveling southbound on County Road 28 was struck when making a left turn onto Ward Street by a southbound car attempting to pass,” said a OPP press release at the time.
Five victims in the car were injured. Nineteen-year-old Neil Henley who owned the car, but wasn’t driving, died at the scene. Two victims were transported to a local hospital and two victims were transported to Toronto-area hospitals. The occupants of the pickup truck were uninjured.
Nineteen-year-old Jack Carlson was one of the victims critically injured in the car.
Carlson was airlifted from Peterborough to a Toronto trauma centre where he spent months recuperating.
But if it wasn’t for Warner and an OPP officer performing cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) on Jack, he would have died that night.
At a celebration of life for Henley, Today’s Northumberland spoke with Carlson and Warner about that evening and how their lives will forever by connected.
Warner said they had just finished catering a wedding and were on their way home with their trailer to Peterborough.
“I remember seeing a police officer’s lights coming down the road chasing a car.”
Seconds later they saw smoke and dust off to the side of the road.
Realizing a collision had happened, Warner said her husband stopped the vehicle and Warner and her daughter Dezyree (age 23) jumped out to see if they could help even before their truck had stopped.
“It was a horrible scene. There was one police officer there who was screaming for help. So we ran down (the hill) there to help.”
Warner has taken a first aid course in the past, but said she forgot everything.
The police officer quickly explained to Warner what to do.
“He asked me to help open his airway – Jack was gone.”
Warner said she was so focused on helping Jack, she didn’t noticed the car that was burning right beside her.
“My only goal was helping bring Jack back.”
With the officer doing chest compressions, Warner gave mouth-to-mouth and worked the officers radio to call for help.
“I’ll never forget that moment when he started coughing.”
Warner said he coughed up so much blood – but he was breathing.
“The officer is a hero for what he did that night.”
Warner said she looks forward to the day she can finally meet the officer.
Dezyree helped another person who was injured and got him out of the ditch and into their truck.
“It was really a horrible, horrible night.”
Starring at her watch, Warner said she just started to wear it again.
“It was so covered in blood from that night, that I just couldn’t even look at the watch without being triggered.”
One of the things that sticks with Warner about that evening is the number of people that stood around and did nothing.
“There were people out with their phones video taping, recording, taking pictures.”
“We needed help. We needed blankets. We needed someone to just sit down and help calm down some of these kids that were still alert and very scared and terrified. Nobody helped. You got to stop – you got to help. Pull over and see if that person’s ok.”
On Sunday, Warner and her family brought down their food trailer and served up food and ice cream including hot dogs which Neil loved at the Lions Pavilion in Victoria Park – all free of charge to try and help out the Henley family.
Warner has become good friends with Jack and the Henley family, but still carries the guilt of not being able to help Neil.
“My heart breaks for them – it’s really hard that I wasn’t able to save Neil and I live with a lot of regret from that.”
But through the guilt, Warner said she’s met some wonderful people and Jack’s alive.
“He’s a huge part of my family now. He can walk, he can talk, he can eat. He can’t smell yet, but hopefully that comes – I’m really proud of him. I love him.”
Jack said he doesn’t remember anything about the collision.
His injuries including, a brain bleed, multiple shattered bones in his face that got facial surgery putting plates and screws in his face, broken clavicle, broken ribs, lacerations to his kidneys, liver, heart and lung, broken pelvis, shattered hip and dislocated hip, broken femur that was replaced with a titanium rod and blunt force trauma to his heart.
Jack was on life support for almost three weeks and in a coma with a breathing tube for almost two months.
He only starts remembering events from the middle of October.
Jack met Warner for the first time when he arrived home from the hospital for the first time in the middle of November.
When Jack found out that a stranger saved his life he said it was “awesome – saved my life.”
Both families have kept in touch since the first meeting with Jack going to the Warner’s restaurant and the Warner family coming down to Cobourg.
It’s not lost on Jack that although he’s happy to be alive because of Warner that one of his best friend’s died in the collision.
A Hamilton Township man is facing charges of
• Operation causing death – three counts (The 3 different charges are impaired cause death, BAC above cause death and combination blood/drug cause death. All captured under operation causing death)
• Operation causing bodily harm – six counts
• Flight from peace officer
• Dangerous operation causing death
• Dangerous operation causing bodily harm-two counts
• Driving while under suspension
Author: Pete Fisher
Has been a photojournalist for over 30-years and have been honoured to win numerous awards for photography and writing over the years. Best selling author for the book Highway of Heroes - True Patriot Love
