Family thanks resident who helped man in car crash

MADISON HEIGHTS — A local woman is thanking the stranger who rushed to her husband’s aid after the 81-year-old man got in a car accident that left him hospitalized with a brain injury from which he’s still recovering.

“We really want to show our appreciation,” said the man’s wife, Maria Fields. “She really went above and beyond.”

The incident happened at 11:30 a.m. Sept. 11. Maria’s husband of 55 years, Fredrick Fields, was driving by himself on Wolverine Street, between Lincoln and Greig avenues. He was scheduled for a doctor’s appointment for his arthritis, a simple routine where they massage different muscles.

That’s when he plowed into a utility truck for a tree-trimming service, one of two that had been parked on the side of the road where vehicles can’t normally park — a temporary measure while they cut down branches.

Maria said it’s unclear how Fredrick crashed into the vehicle. She said her husband is an exceedingly careful driver, always traveling below the speed limit.

They know the area well, too, having lived in Madison Heights over two stretches of time, including at least 20 years since moving back.

“He must have blacked out and hit the accelerator, which threw him into the truck,” Maria said.

However it happened, the violent collision caused Fredrick’s Jeep Compass to spin around, facing the opposite direction in the roadway.

A woman with the tree-cutting service was first at the scene and called 911. She was followed by Deborah Monroe, a resident across the street who has lived in Madison Heights since 2011.

“I was sitting at my desk, which faces the window on that side of the house. I was working when I heard a loud boom,” Monroe recalled. “I looked out the window, and at first, I didn’t realize what I was looking at, since the truck was there but the car was sideways, and it looked like it was coming out of a driveway. Then it registered that something had happened.”

She said she went outside and helped pull Fredrick out of the vehicle, carrying him to the curb where another neighbor had arrived with a chair from her porch. Monroe began asking Fredrick questions while he rested in the chair.

“When we sat him down, he started vomiting. He had road rash-like burns on his arms from the airbag. He kept saying he knew he wasn’t speeding, and that he didn’t know what happened. And he tried to give me his daughter’s number, but he couldn’t remember due to the impact. He was pretty shook up,” Monroe said. “The paneling on his car was gone, exposing the frame and tire.”

Monroe deduced he had been traveling to the doctor. She was able to find out which doctor and contacted the office. Putting Fredrick on speakerphone, he gave the office permission to share his family’s contact information with Monroe. She then called Fredrick’s daughter, Ronni Majewski, and informed her of the crash.

“I just kept thinking that if he was my parent, I’d want to know right away what happened,” Monroe said. “I just wanted to let someone know. It was important for me to get ahold of the family, who could take it from there.”

At press time, Fredrick was still recovering at Royal Oak Beaumont Hospital.

“He’s on a feeding tube, refusing to eat. He cannot communicate coherently,” Maria said. “He’s basically bedridden. They’re just trying to get him now into physical therapy.”

Maria, her daughter Ronni and her son Rod have been taking turns keeping Fredrick company throughout the day. Maria said they’re so thankful to Monroe’s efforts to look out for Fredrick, and to help connect him with his family.

Monroe is no stranger to helping people. She started a nonprofit respite called Hope 365, “like a bed and breakfast for mental health,” she said, with activities and a peer support group.

“We’re there to just be able to listen, and if they need resources, we work with agencies in the community to make those connections,” Monroe said. “We’re trying to break the recidivism of going from crisis to hospital and back again. Everyone’s needs are different.”

Hope 365’s website is hope365wellness.org.

Coincidentally, Monroe has been visiting the same hospital as Fredrick, since her mom was there for a procedure. This provided an opportunity for Fredrick’s family to meet Monroe Oct. 1.

“I just find it so unreal these days, to see someone act so selflessly,” Maria said. “She just did such a wonderful job, helping us with Freddy.”