From Stafford County Schools:
Three Mountain View High School students assisted a principal after she was involved in an auto collision this week. Nikolas Amussen (Class of 2019), Avery Endler (Class of 2020) and Olivia Endler, a rising senior, witnessed a head-on collision between a driver and Mrs. Becky Wardlow, Principal at Winding Creek Elementary School. The quick actions of these three students helped provide emergency assistance and calm during the incident.
The Endlers, who were in the car just behind Wardlow and her husband, immediately called 911.
“I was mostly in shock but I knew that I needed to remain calm. I needed to be there, in the moment, and present,” said Olivia. “We immediately stopped and while Avery went to the car, I dialed 911.”
While Olivia was providing details for emergency services, Avery and Amussen attended to the scene.
“I ran over to the driver’s side of Mrs. Wardlow’s car and spoke with her husband, who said he was ok,” said Amussen. “On my way to the passenger side, I stopped at the other car and pulled the driver out of the passenger side. I checked on him and he said he was ok, so I went to help Mrs. Wardlow on the passenger side of her car.”
The compassion and quick thinking provided a calming presence during the anxious scene.
“Avery held my hand and stayed by my side, talking to me, calming me, and staying with me until the ambulance came,” said Wardlow. “He saw that my car was still on and thought to turn off the engine because of the smoke. While holding my hand, he checked on the driver of the other car, made sure he was ok, and told him to make sure his engine was off.
Both young men knew they should keep Wardlow engaged until the ambulance arrived.
“She was having trouble catching her breath and told her to relax, that my sister was on the phone with emergency services,” said Avery. “We talked to her to keep her mind off the pain and keep her engaged.”
Wardlow remarked that these three students are true heroes in their community, displaying compassion, clarity of thought, and maturity beyond their years.
“Avery and his friends saw the accident, stopped, and stayed until the end,” she stated. “They did it without being asked, which is exactly what we hope will happen as moms.”
Mrs. Wardlow is this year’s Washington Post Principal of the Year finalist for Stafford County Public Schools
