Regular readers may recall Sarah Thompson’s August 19 article about an accident at the intersection of Western and Camden roads.  Even if you missed the article and news of the crash, I’ve come to learn that most residents are familiar with that problematic intersection. 

My name is Justin Shilliday, and my wife, Jessica, and stepson Hero were the driver and passenger in the car involved in the accident.  After the accident my wife was treated at Pen Bay Medical Center and my stepson, after being stabilized at Pen Bay, was taken by ambulance to Portland for surgery at Maine Medical Center. 

While we will be dealing with the emotional and mental fallout from the accident for some time, I am happy to share that they are both on the road to physical recovery.

The main purpose of this letter is to express my family’s profound thanks to the community of Warren and the first responders, medical staff, and citizens who came to my family’s aid.  That was the hardest and scariest day we’ve had as a family, and your community rallied to us and gave us every bit of support for which anyone could ever ask.  

I was only a couple of miles away when the accident happened and was already in my car.  Despite my being only minutes away, before I even arrived at the scene, the Warren Fire Department was already on site and had things well in hand. 

Immediately thereafter several EMT teams and the Knox County Sheriff’s office arrived and got to work caring for my family. 

Only a few hours later, it was the same EMT team who then got Hero safely to Portland for life-saving surgery.  I can’t say enough about the care and professionalism exhibited by each of these groups in responding to and handling the accident.  

My family also received incredible care at Pen Bay Medical where the staff were absolutely amazing.  Both the medical and administrative staff were on top of all my family’s needs and explained everything to us so that we could make informed decisions. 

The staff, knowing that I was running back and forth between rooms and trying to keep track of the situations of both my wife and stepson, took extra care to keep me up to speed and ensure that I was present to support each of them at important moments in their care.

I would be remiss if I did not also acknowledge the amazing help we got from the everyday citizens of your area. 

At the accident scene, a local nurse, whose name we sadly did not get, along with several other motorists jumped in to help all four people involved in the accident and rendered aid until the professionals arrived. 

At the hospital, local retired teacher Angela Hoch was in the waiting room because one of her family members was being treated in Pen Bay and, after overhearing what my family was going through, offered to sit with and keep watch over our other child (12-year-old Haley) in the waiting room so that I could devote my attention to Jessica and Hero. 

Angela stayed with Haley and kept them upbeat and distracted throughout the whole ordeal.

Jessica, Hero, Haley, and I want to express our profound gratitude to the first responders of Warren and Knox County, the staff at Pen Bay, and thoughtful local citizens like Angela, that nurse, and other nearby drivers for the compassion and help that you gave us that day. 

The outcome could have been so much worse without you.  Your community will always have a special place in our hearts.

Justin Shilliday lives in Haddon Township, New Jersey