LAKEWOOD, Colo. (KDVR) — It’s an update to a story FOX31 first brought you over the weekend.
Ryan Myrick risked his safety and sacrificed his truck to save an unconscious driver behind the wheel. That driver and her hero reunited Thursday evening. Our cameras captured that special moment.
Ashleigh Dierking told FOX31 after watching our story almost a week ago it helped her piece together what happened that day. She knew she had to meet face-to-face with the man who saved her life.
It was a dramatic race against the clock on September 6 to save her behind the wheel.
“It was on an instance. I had to react,” said Myrick.
“I’m so glad you’re doing OK,” Myrick said as he hugged her. “I knew something was wrong. I tried to pull over and that’s all I knew.”
She couldn’t wait to meet her hero.
“I’m very happy to be here,” she said with tears in her eyes. “It’s so nice to know what happened and that I can say thank you. I can feel good about going out in the world because there’s good people out there.”
She said at the age of 23 she had never suffered a medical emergency before.
“Most likely it was a seizure. So I have a little brain damage now. I’m very grateful if it is that now I know. Now I know how to take care of myself,” said Dierking.
She made it out with minor scratches and bruises.
“The most noticeable thing for me was my tongue,” said Dierking. “I don’t know what actually happened, but I bit down pretty hard and ripped off most of the side of my tongue.”
Myrick was the last one to leave the scene that day. He was waiting for the moment to get an update on how she was doing.
“You chose to do what you did and because of that I’m here,” Dierking told Myrick.
“I’m glad you’re here. It worked out,” he said.
She’s forever grateful to Myrick for saving her life and the lives of others.
“Because you did what you did I get to continue being here and I get to grow up,” she said.
Dierking said she hopes this story is a reminder to look out for others while also bringing awareness to make sure you’re staying on top of your health and to get yourself checked out to avoid life-or-death situations.
She has started a GoFundMe to help her recover after the accident.
