Abraham Montes was driving across the Brazos Bridge on FM 1462 in Texas on Jan. 24, completing an errand to pick up some firewood for a family bonfire.
He took a different route home than he normally would, and that has made all the difference.
As he drove, he nearly hit a black car that had crashed.
“I seen a stalled car, looked like they wrecked into the bridge,” Montes told KPRC-TV. “And it was stopped there, almost hit him myself.”
Parking his own car and approaching the driver of the wrecked vehicle, Montes urged him to move to a safer spot.
“I told that guy, ‘Hey man, you need to cut your flashers on that car because it’s getting darker. It’s already hard to see, it’s a black little car,'” he said.
Another good Samaritan, a woman, came over — but then another car came speeding up.
“I was trying to help him and she was trying to help us,” Abraham explained. “That car was coming fast.”
The driver of the oncoming vehicle swerved to avoid the stopped car and plowed right into Montes, the driver and the other good Samaritan. Montes grabbed the other good Samaritan, shielding her from the car.
“We were standing to the right of the car,” Montes recalled. “I guess they didn’t know that we were at the right side of the car, maybe 10-15 feet down.
“I hugged her and I took the impact. It just happened so quick. Like I said, it was just a natural instinct, I guess.”
Surprisingly, the woman walked away with only a few scrapes. The driver they’d been trying to help was killed instantly.
Montes himself was in critical condition, with a long list of injuries and complications.
“I couldn’t feel myself from the waist down,” Montes said. “I felt lots of blood rush to my stomach. I broke my pelvis in two or three places. My bladder was pretty much ripped. They had to drill a hole through my left knee to align my appendix. I just have a lot of swelling. It ripped my scrotum.”
Since the accident, Montes has been at the Memorial Hermann Hospital undergoing surgeries, but he desperately looks forward to getting to be back with his son, 3, and daughter, 2.
Montes’ sister, Maria Merta, has started a GoFundMe for Montes, to help pay for medical costs and cover his children’s needs.
“We are asking for your support and help to provide for his family’s medical bills and children while he will be out of work,” Merta wrote. “The rehabilitation process will be a long road to recovery for my brother Abraham. We ask that you keep Abraham and his family in your prayers. Any donation helps no matter the amount every donation is appreciated even if it’s just a prayer. Thank you all and God Bless each and every one of you.”
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On Monday, Montes underwent another surgery, which Merta said they hoped would be the last one.
Montes’ wife, Martha, said that he’s known far and wide as a good guy, though Montes himself says he’s no hero.
“That’s what he’s known for,” Martha said. “His neighbors, colleagues and family, say, ‘He’s such a good person.'”
“I mean everybody wants to help everybody,” Montes said of his actions that night. “I mean, that’s just human nature.”
This article appeared originally on The Western Journal.
