PHOENIX — Christina Johnson was on a more than 250-mile drive from Amarillo, Texas to Albuquerque, New Mexico to visit her son on March 10.
As she usually did Johnson said she went to play music on her phone when the radio started to go out. This time though, she dropped her phone. It happened while she was on I-40 about 18 miles away from the Texas/New Mexico border.
“When I leaned down and got my phone and got back up, he was just right there,” Johnson said of a semi in front of her. “And I didn’t have time to do anything.”
Johnson crashed into the back of the semi.
“Everything just stopped and I was just kind of looking around and I think I saw the blood,” Johnson said.
On their way back to Flagstaff from Texas, Alissa Heap and Lucas Mullikin started to pass by the crash.
“He didn’t hesitate at all, he just like pulled right over,” Heap said.
At that time, Heap and Mullikin said the semi-truck driver was yelling at Johnson asking her why she ran into him.
“By the time that I got up to where you were at the car you were definitely covered in blood,” Mullikin said to Johnson. “And I was, you know, really worried about where this puncture wound was.”
Heap started directing traffic while Mullikin contacted Johnson’s husband and worked to try and stop the bleeding from her hand.
“I remember yelling at (Alissa) to be like, ‘See if you can find something in the car to act as like a wrap.’ And I was like, ‘Wait, the thing on my head.’,” Mullikin said.
Johnson said she wondered if Mullikin was an EMT, noting how he was able to talk to her, asking her questions, keeping her calm while waiting for the ambulance.
“I also remember saying, ‘I think I’m dying’ because everything was going white. And you’re like, ‘you’re not dying’,” Johnson said.
Mullikin isn’t an EMT but said his parents have had careers where they helped others, and he’s had experience providing support to people.
“If I have the ability to help someone and I can be there, then I’m going to do it,” Mullikin said.
Johnson was taken to the hospital by ambulance, suffering a broken sternum, injuries to her hips and her hand punctured. Johnson said glass continues to come out of her hand, and her sternum is still healing too.
“We’re just really glad that, you know, you weren’t injured more,” Mullikin said.
In the four months since Johnson said she’s been trying to find the couple.
Most recently, posting to a local Flagstaff Facebook group to try and find them, hoping to thank them for taking the time to stop.
“I sure do appreciate you guys,” Johnson said. “You just changed so many lives by what you did. My life course changed after that whole thing.”
Johnson said she’s since retired, and now is spending more time with family.
Mullikin said he was glad they could stop and help Johnson.
“If anyone feels able or whatever just to be – you know if they see someone in danger whether it’s a car accident or whether it’s someone in hot Phoenix laying underneath a tree, you know, go connect and try to help and be there for somebody,” Mullikin said.
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