North Tonawanda City Council recognizes officers for heroic response after student was hit by car

NORTH TONAWANDA, NY — Four law enforcement officers have been recognized by the North Tonawanda City Council for their response after a student was struck by a vehicle back in June.

At the time, police said a North Tonawanda Senior High School student, whose family asked that he remain anonymous, was riding an electric scooter and failed to yield to traffic with a green light.

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Once police were notified of the incident, the first two to respond were the school resource officers, Lt. Erik Herbert and Officer Mary Ellen Parish.

Two more officers, Lt. William Ginnick of the New York State University Police and North Tonawanda K9 Officer Jeff Kam, arrived on the scene shortly thereafter. Ginnick was off-duty at the time of the accident.

"I pulled out of the parking lot to go to the intermediate school, and while waiting in the left-hand turn lane at the intersection of Nash and Meadow, that's when I heard the police cars, the sirens, and saw the lights coming," Ginnick said. "I drove over the curb at that moment to get my vehicle out of the way, and I ran on foot to the intersection and met the officers there at the same time as they were getting there as well. If I'm in a position to help somebody, or do something that I'm able to do that, I'm willing to do that in any moment, regardless of whether the uniforms are on or off.

"It's unfortunate that something like this happened, but I'm glad that I was there to help in any way that I could."

WATCH: North Tonawanda City Council recognizes officers for heroic response after student was hit by car

"I recognized that due to the dramatics of his injuries at that point that I could still be of assistance as he was actively trying to remove some of the devices that we had put on him to stop the bleeding," Kam said. "I basically just held his hand firmly and kind of kept him in a down position so he wouldn't get off the ground, and I just kind of began wiping his face and just comforting him as I would if it was my own son."

At the time, North Tonawanda Police Chief Keith Glass said the actions of these officers were "lifesaving."

"People often think of police officers as just crime fighters, but today's officers are equally expected to be highly trained medical responders," Glass said. "They remained calm under extreme pressure, and they worked together to provide life-saving care until EMS could take over. Their actions gave this young person the opportunity to survive and thankfully make a full recovery."

Adam Beam

"Through their quick response, calm demeanor, and coordinated efforts, these officers provided critical life-saving care until the student could be transported by ambulance," North Tonawanda Mayor Austin J. Tylec said. "The actions of Lieutenant Herbert, Officer Parish, Officer Kam, and Officer Ginnick reflect the highest ideals of law enforcement, including courage, compassion, preparedness, and a steadfast commitment to the safety and well-being of the community."

Speaking with Parish and Herbert, the two officers both emphasized the importance of life-saving training for regular residents, just as much as law enforcement.

"I feel like everyone should, especially if you have children, should have at least the basic CPR or first aid," Parish said. "So you're aware, and you can do it in case of emergency. I'm very happy to hear that he's going to make a full recovery. What we saw was not great at first, and I'm glad that he's home and he's doing well."

"The department does a great job with training every year and on these topics, critical incidents and first aid, emergency care, tourniquet application, all the things that were really important that day," Herbert said. "That training was really what allowed us to get there and do the right stuff and stay calm under pressure because we've trained for situations like that. Hopefully you never have to use it, but in this case we did, and thankfully the training took over, and we're able to make a difference."