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CC Rider driver saves a life CHRISTINE MENGES chronicle2@countrymedia.net
St. Helens resident Thelma Bonar is thankful to be alive and credits a CC Rider Bus driver with saving her life. The life-saving incident happened on Valentine’s Day after Bonar had scheduled a ride through CC Rider’s Dial-A-Ride service in advance to get to a personal appointment. Bonar regularly uses Dial-A-Ride to get to and from errands and various appointments and she is always consistent with confirming the appointment and the ride day of. When the driver, Roy Hettinga, arrived at Bonar’s house and knocked, nobody answered the door. He then called the CC Rider office to let them know no one had answered, and the dispatchers called the appointment place to confirm Bonar was not already there. They also then realized Bonar had not confirmed her ride that morning like she usually does. Realizing this, CC Rider called for a welfare
check through the Columbia County Sheriff’s Office. When the sheriff deputy arrived, Bonar was discovered to be having a medical emergency. Through quick action by the deputy, she was able to get the emergency medical attention she needed. Dial-A-Ride is a curb to curb service and doesn’t follow the same route every day. Instead, the driver comes to the passengers’ homes, often taking senior citizens and the disabled to medical and other appointments. The service receives ride requests in two ways. One is through a brokerage called Northwest Rides, which helps people covered by Medicaid. CC Rider’s dispatchers offer the second way through a shared online portal. Rides can be used for medical appointments or for other personal appointments. “Our priority is medical, because there’s a huge demand for it,” CC Rider administrative assistant Angela Garrett said. Bonar’s appointment on the bus was a regu-
larly scheduled ride in the south county, Garrett said, describing Bonar as a long-time passenger who is well-liked and who often chats with dispatchers when she makes calls. She is consistent and reliable, always making sure to call and confirm her appointment the day of with the dispatchers, Garrett added. On this day, Bonar hadn’t done that and the bus driver was not able to get Bonar to come to the door. Hettinga immediately knew something was off. “I knew something wasn’t right when my passenger didn’t come out to the bus. I gave a her few minutes and then went to ring her doorbell. There was no answer and so I contacted dispatch and they then called her phone. I had also knocked on a different door and wondered why her dog wasn’t barking. All of it was not normal and knew from past contacts with her that she had been having problems with falling,” Hettinga said.
See DRIVER Page A2
Christine Menges / The Chronicle
CC Rider bus driver Roy Hettinga saved a scheduled passenger’s life after discovering she was having a medical emergency.
Health care is just the beginning.
You deserve good health. That’s why Columbia Pacific CCO helps people in our communities get the comprehensive care they deserve from the Oregon Health Plan. But good health is more than health care. So we also work with local partners to increase access to fresh food, education and more. When you’re stronger, we are all stronger. Learn more at ColPacHealth.org/OHP or call 866-326-5722.
OHP-CPC-19-056