The Kennebec Journal

MANCHESTER

June 26

Woman meets men who rescued her

"You're an angel,' she says

By Scott Monroe smonroe@mainetoday.com
Staff Writer

MANCHESTER -- The truck parked outside at about 11:30 a.m. Friday and Cathy Shepherd sprung from the door to her condominium, both hands cupped in front of her face.

Father and son got out of the truck. Shepherd cried openly as she rushed across the lawn toward them.

She reached the father first, immediately embracing him with both arms and repeating, "thank you, thank you, thank you." He looked down at her and smiled.

Then the father stepped aside and extended one arm behind him, toward his teenage son. Shepherd wrapped her arms around the son's neck; his stoic face belied the powerful hug he offered in return.

"You're an angel," Shepherd said, stepping back with her hands resting on the son's cheeks, then his shoulders. She managed a smile. "Thank you so much. You saved my life."

"That's what everybody's supposed to do for each other," the father offered. "You're supposed to stop and help your fellow human being."

"But you guys were not 'everyone,'" Shepherd replied. "What you did is beyond anything I could ever thank you for. It was like God put you right there for me."

The emotional reunion, on a sunny and warm morning, came five days after the three people had met for the first time under much different circumstances: on a foggy night, on Interstate 95, chaos and carnage surrounding them.

That night

Shepherd had been driving south on I-95 at about 9:30 p.m. Sunday, her cruise control set to the speed limit, when a moose walked across the highway and her 2004 Hyundai XG350 slammed into the animal, killing it. Shortly after the collision, which happened about two miles beyond Exit 127, the father and son stopped their Chevy truck to help the bloodied and disoriented woman.

As other cars hit the moose, and one vehicle swerved out of control toward them, the son quickly tossed Shepherd over the guardrail and out of harm's way, while the father called 911. She was taken to the hospital and the anonymous father and son went on their way.

After the accident, Shepherd didn't know who the men were and wanted to thank them in person.

At her home on Friday, Shepherd got her chance. She showered her "heroes" -- Randy and Kendall Curit, of Windham -- with hugs and praise, while learning more about them and the events of Sunday night.

Randy Curit, 44, a former Marine, owns Barney's Seafood Market on U.S. Route 302 in Raymond, near Sebago Lake. His son, 17-year-old Kendall Curit, will be a senior at Windham High School. Kendall said he hopes to become a police officer and that he plays hockey and hunts (he's shot a moose, in fact).

Kendall also is a race-car driver, which is what intertwined their fate with Shepherd's that night. Kendall had raced in the Legends Series at the Unity Raceway, with his father there as his No. 1 fan and mechanic (Kendall placed 7th after being in second most of the race, his father said).

They were driving back home when they saw the collision up ahead, although they initially didn't know it was with a moose. Shepherd, who had been kicked in the head by the moose when it crashed through the windshield, was frantically pumping her brakes to alert other motorists.

The Curits said they realized what had happened as their truck passed the wreck; Randy braked and went in reverse on the passing-lane side of the road. Kendall jumped out as Shepherd stumbled out of her crushed car, lurching down the driving lane.

Kendall was scared by what he saw: a baby's car seat in the vehicle and no sign of a child, and Shepherd covered in blood, "doing a zombie walk." Fortunately her 14-month-old daughter, Sarah, was elsewhere that night and most of the blood belonged to the moose, which Kendall said he smelled immediately as he got closer.

Meanwhile, Randy said he had to wait to cross the highway -- at least 20 cars zoomed by the wreck at normal speeds without stopping. "I was just amazed people were continuing on with their lives."

But not all approaching vehicles got by: one clipped the moose and drove off the road. And a sport utility vehicle braked and started spinning in circles toward Shepherd and Kendall. An 18-wheel tractor-trailer began jackknifing behind the SUV.

That's when the teenager threw Shepherd over the guardrail and down toward a gully, leaping after her as the spinning car passed over where they had been. Kendall held her hand, kept telling her to breathe and that she was beautiful as they made their way back up to the road.

"I was amazed that, at 17 years old, he reacted the way he did," Randy said of his son. "He threw her out of the way with no concern for himself. He's the hero here."

Reunited

After the incident, all Shepherd knew about her rescuers was that the son's name was Kendall and that they had been "on their way back from the races."

After the Morning Sentinel interviewed Shepherd and published a story about her experience on Thursday, the Curits were first publicly identified by an online commenter to the story. Then, a reporter at New England Cable News bureau in Portland also recognized the Curits and contacted Randy. NECN coordinated with Shepherd and the Curits to arrange the reunion Friday morning.

Shepherd's mother Marilyn Hutchinson, of Winthrop, was also there to watch the meeting. It was an especially emotional time for her because Shepherd's accident happened on the eve of the date when another of Hutchinson's children died. Lori Hutchinson, 30, died June 21, 2003, after diabetic complications, she said.

"I feel my daughter was looking down, saying 'it's not time,'" Hutchinson said.

Friday morning, Shepherd wore the necklace cross she wore the night of the accident; it was the only item that hadn't been ruined, she said.

"You really are my angel," Shepherd said, smiling at Kendall. "I know that may make you feel awkward or whatever, but I love you, even though I don't know you. I'll never forget you guys. You'll always have a special place in my heart."

Scott Monroe -- 861-9253

smonroe@centralmaine.com