Cyclist recovering in Anchorage hospital thanks to good Samaritan’s help

ANCHORAGE, Alaska (KTUU) - A bicyclist is recovering in an Anchorage hospital after a horrific crash on Tuesday, one that could have been worse if not for the quick thinking of a few bystanders.

The Anchorage Police Department said 30-year-old Chelsea Jensen-Roehl was biking through a crosswalk at the corner of Debarr Road and Airport Heights Drive on Tuesday afternoon when she was struck by a car and partially run over, pinned to the ground underneath the car.

Across the street at a Chevron auto repair shop, Dylan Moss was working on Zach Babb’s vehicle.

When the incident occurred, Moss and Babb realized something was wrong. Without a second thought, the quick-thinking bystanders jumped into action.

“We noticed that she was under the car, so me and Zach grabbed that jack and ran across the street,” Moss said.

Moss’ mechanical knowledge came in handy during the emergency, taking an industrial jack from the shop and rushing to help.

“Dylan got the car up on the jack and the weight off of the person within seconds of getting out there,” Babb recalled.

After the weight of the vehicle was lifted from off of Jensen-Roehl, it became clear that she was unconscious and had sustained serious injuries.

“It looked like the full weight of the vehicle had been on her chest — or had been — and yeah, she had been run over, it was kind of rough,” Babb said.

Witnesses stayed with the injured Jensen-Roehl until first responders arrived to take her — severely injured, but still alive — to a nearby hospital.

“She’s got some real extensive, extensive damage,” her mother Karla Jensen said.

On Wednesday, Jensen said her daughter suffered broken ribs as well as other breaks and fractures and currently has a breathing tube in place.

“When I went into that hospital room, I was anticipating that I was going to be strong for my other daughter, but when you walk into a room like that and you see your child so beat up and so hooked up to everything, it’s really hard,” Jensen said. “That’s your baby.”

Jensen-Roehl is also the single mother of a 6-year-old daughter.

Jensen says that she was out of town when her daughter was hit and in that moment, she felt like there was nothing she could do.

“I couldn’t stop the tears because I was stuck,” Jensen said. “I was stuck on an airplane.”

Thankfully, someone was able to step in and help before she could return.

“I wasn’t here, I was on the other side of the United States. But if you’re listening and you helped and you were here, I can’t help but thank you from the bottom of my heart that you are caring people,” Jensen said.

The two good Samaritans were happy to help someone in need.

“I was just glad to help, like of course I was nervous because it was somebody under a car, but I’m just glad she’s okay,” Moss said.

The Anchorage Police Department says no citations or charges have been issued as of now, but the traffic collision investigation for this incident is ongoing.

Jensen-Roehl is on the road to recovery and had surgery Wednesday afternoon to repair one side of her ribs. The family created a GoFundMe to raise funds for Chelsea’s recovery.

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