Captain sees act as message to drivers

Air Force Capt. Kari Fleming hopes the recognition she's getting for clearing a path so that an ambulance could reach a Don Holt Bridge accident site becomes a reminder for drivers to get out of the way when they see emergency lights headed their way.

"Have the assumption that someone's life is at risk," she said Wednesday during an interview at Charleston Air Force Base. "The most important thing from this whole story is people need to start minding EMS."

Her comments came three days after she got out of her car while dressed in her blue service uniform and began prompting cars to move toward one side of the Interstate 526 bridge. An ambulance was trying to reach a driver who had been ejected from his 18-wheeler.

Truck driver Steven Fretwell survived the Monday morning rush-hour accident, but Fleming had to direct more than a mile of cars to move aside for EMS to reach him.

Fretwell, 46, of North Charleston, who served in the Air Force as a staff sergeant from 1980-88, had nothing but praise for Fleming and her Air Force mindset.

"She certainly went further above and beyond than she had to," said Fretwell, who suffered a fractured skull and broken nose.

Fleming said two other people helped move cars that day and that for the most part, people took her instructions. The only problem was that most people were stuck in the middle of the snarl not knowing what the problem was up ahead, or that an ambulance was trying to get through from behind them.

Otherwise, "everyone was eager to do it," she said, adding that "when I see lights, the first thing I think is somebody's life could be depending on it."

Fleming, 28, of Illinois, went to the Air Force Academy after high school because she wanted to fly and to serve her country. She's been posted to Charleston for the past four years where she flies C-17 cargo planes.

A photograph taken of her on the bridge Monday morning shows her jogging back to her car after the ambulance had reached Fretwell. Though she's no stranger to long runs -- going on 3-5-mile runs with her squadron at the base -- she did get an unwanted injury for her efforts: huge blisters on her feet from running in her uniform dress shoes.

Reach Schuyler Kropf at 937-5551, or skropf@postandcourier.com.