VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. (WVEC) — Joseph Watts and his wife Stephanie honored the man who saved their lives on Wednesday after a major motorcycle crash on April 28.
The couple was riding on Indian Lakes Boulevard at Ferrell Parkway in Virginia Beach when a minivan hit them, tossing them off the bike. Stephanie broke multiple bones in her leg, but Watts' leg was severed on impact.
"I saw my wife's body go past me, this way, and that was one of the worst things I can remember,” said Watts.
Student Activities Coordinator Randy Sparling was taking Salem Middle School students to Busch Gardens. By luck, his bus was at that same intersection when the accident happened.
"I began to realize that my life may or may not be ending, and I remember hearing this voice yelling for a tourniquet,” said Watts.
Watts served in several combat tours, but a motorcycle crash almost ended his life. Sparling quickly took belts from the kids on the bus and tied them together to create the life-saving tool, a tourniquet.
“I knew I had to put a tourniquet on to stop the bleeding. If you don't put a tourniquet on in five minutes, then you're not going to survive,” said Sparling.
On Wednesday, Sparling was awarded the Boy Scouts Merit Award for his heroism. Watts was there to give the award to Sparling. The two men were formally strangers, but since the accident, they are now friends.
Joseph and Stephanie still have a long road to recovery, but they are thankful Sparling saved their lives.
"We were all there together that day, and we're all together today. It's not habit stance, these things happen for a reason,” said Watts.
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