Fort Monroe ‘neighbors’ help save life of Phoebus car crash victim


By Patricia Radcliffe

CASEMATE STAFF WRITER

It’s been said that it takes a village to raise a child. Recently, it was proven that it can take a small army to save a child’s life. When a violent accident caused Kaylee Maldonado to be ejected from her mother’s vehicle while traveling in Phoebus, an estimated 10 people stopped to assist the family.

At least two who rendered assistance currently work on Fort Monroe and one retired from the installation. Lt. Col. Pete Badoian of U.S. Army Accessions Command, Roger Ringgenberg, an electronics technician with the Audio-Visual Division, and retired firefighter Tom Mugler helped out in the March 18 incident.

Ringgenberg said he was heading to his Virginia Beach home and had turned left onto South Hope Street from Mellen Street to cut through the Phoebus neighborhood when he saw a minivan and SUV collide just ahead of him at the corner of Downes and South Hope Streets. The impact propelled one passenger – 4-year-old Maldonado – through a window and onto the pavement.

The little girl got up and began running toward the SUV which was teetering on two wheels and threatening to topple over on the child. “Oh, God; oh God,” Ringgenberg repeated as he watched the truck eventually settle onto all four tires.

He called 911 while exiting his truck and saw a Soldier – Badoian – run toward the girl. Badoian moved the toddler to a safe location off the street and then came back to check on the other passengers. The mother, Debra Rosado-Maldonado, was attempting to kick the door open after realizing her daughter had been ejected. However, Badoian and others asked her to stop in case of unrealized injuries. Rosado-Maldonado and 2-year-old Leslee were shaken but uninjured.

Badoian said he was quickly joined by Mugler who brought blankets and pillows from his home to comfort the injured. He and Badoian saw blood on the sidewalk, the SUV and Badoian’s uniform, but had trouble locating its source. But then Rosado-Maldonado pulled up her daughter’s sleeve and Mugler realized that one of the child’s arteries had been punctured. He immediately applied pressure to the wound on her forearm with his fingers and Badoian removed his belt and created a tourniquet.

During an age when it seems many people just drive past an accident, Badoian said he stopped and rendered assistance because, “that’s just what you do.”

Helping out in this type of situation is the right and only thing to do. I probably stopped because of the way I was brought up and the way I was trained. I lived the Army values before I came into the Army. My dad and mom were school teachers and they (reared) us that way,” Badoian said.

Although Badoian is a 23-year veteran, he said the event was an “eye-opening” experience.

I’ve never been in a position like that where something unexpected happened that tested my reactions. And, I hope I’ll never see that type of situation again,” Badoian said.

Afterwards, the Phoebus Fire Department arrived and transported the youngster to Riverside Hospital where she was flown to the Children’s Hospital of the King’s Daughters in Norfolk.

Rosado-Maldonado said she buckled her 2-year-old daughter in her child seat and looked back to see that Kaylee was buckled into her seat as well. “If she doesn’t hear a click, she will tell me, so I felt assured she was secure,” the high school teacher said. “Now, I will take no chances. I double check both girls.”

She said Kaylee only received 23 stitches, incurred no concussion or broken bones and is recovering well from the laceration to her arm. Also, Rosado-Maldonado said she appreciates the opportunity she had to meet Mugler and speak to Ringgenberg over the phone.

I’m grateful. I was very fortunate to speak to them and thank them for what they did. I would like the opportunity to speak to (Badoian) and the others also. I remember there was a security officer who removed Leslee from the SUV and took care of her. I’m extremely grateful because at that time I was in shock seeing my daughter like that. I know the Army officer’s clothes were full of blood. He carried her and put her down and started working on her without thinking twice.

I say my two daughters were protected by God. These people were (like) angels sent from God to take care of us. I want to honor the wonderful (people) who God put in my daughter’s path to help her and save her life,” Rosado-Maldonado said.