Off-duty EMT Ashley Diaz knew she had to act fast or she would die when a driver allegedly high on fentanyl smashed into her in a horrific September 16 crash on Staten Island.
Blood was gushing from the 29-year-old mom's mangled right leg, and the first police officer on the scene applied a tourniquet to try to stop the bleeding, but unfortunately it was not working.
Diaz, who got hit while standing outside her parked vehicle, told the New York Post that she was telling the cop it needs to be high and tight because her leg was in a condition that no one should ever see.
Diaz stayed conscious to relay instructions after crash
Diaz said they did not really know how to get it up her leg so she just told them to put it up here and tighten it as much as possible. She added that they did not tighten it enough. Diaz knew that staying conscious was critical at that time as she continued to give instructions. She said that if she fell asleep, she was not going to make it.
The collision caused Diaz to lose her leg just above the knee. It also knocked out her front teeth and left her with cuts across her face as well as a broken scapula, femur, and collar bone. When medics arrived at the scene, one EMT friend Diaz had worked with on the job at the FDNY did not know it was her because apparently she was unrecognizable.
According to a prosecutor with the Staten Island District Attorney's office, driver Nicole Marino was heavily impaired by fentanyl when her vehicle rammed into Diaz, SILive reported.
Diaz shook her head when hearing that the driver was impaired by the potent opioid, saying that fentanyl is everywhere and it is really bad as it is the strongest drug. Cops said that the 31-year-old Marino was unlicensed.
Marino faces 25 years in jail after horrific crash
The suspect is now facing 25 years in jail for first-degree felony assault. She has also been charged with other crimes, including drug possession. Marino allegedly had heroin on her when she hit Diaz, according to NBC New York.
The Staten Island DA's office said that Marino remains locked up at Rikers Island after she failed to make bail of $100,000 cash, and a $200,000 bond. She has pleaded not guilty to all the charges filed against her, and the case is back in court on November 15.
Law enforcement sources said that Diaz's tragic accident appears to be one more example of how fentanyl has become a serious epidemic in New York City. Staten Island DA Michael McMahon said that as this tragic case has shown them, the impact of fentanyl on their streets reaches beyond those who use it.
McMahon added that an increased risk of harm for drivers, pedestrians, their first responders and most importantly their children must be addressed by their lawmakers and law enforcement across the state.
