PORT ANGELES — A man risked his life and saved her family from what she thought was certain death as her vehicle slid on an icy road toward a ravine, a Port Angeles mother of three said.
Sarah Hayward, her husband, her three children and her niece all went up to Little River Road, an area commonly called “Six Pack,” to go sledding on New Year’s Day. It became clear quickly the icy roads were bad and they needed to turn around, she said.
When her husband put the vehicle in reverse it began sliding forward toward a ravine with a 100-foot drop and there was nothing to stop the family from falling to their deaths, she said.
“There was definitely a point where I was thinking ‘this is it, we’re all going to die right now,’ ” she said.
Among her fears was that her 2-month-old daughter Penelope would not have the chance to really experience life.
That’s when Will Stevenson appeared from nowhere and pushed the vehicle away from the ledge and toward a ditch, she said.
“We would have died if he hadn’t been there,” she said. “Whatever you believe … he was definitely there for a reason.”
Stevenson shrugs off the title of hero, but thanks God for putting him in the right place at the right time.
He took his son and two of his friends sledding on Little River Road near Black Diamond Road. When they were walking back up the road from a run, Stevenson saw the car sliding down.
Then he did the only thing he could think of: He jumped in front of the car to stop it.
He pushed on the front of the car and realized he was actually making progress.
“I did what I had to do,” he said. “From my perspective if I didn’t do anything I’d be living with that for the rest of my life.”
Hayward said the chance anybody would be there at that moment was slim. Stevenson and the children were the only people she had seen up there, she said.
At one point while Stevenson was pushing the car he slipped and at that moment Hayward feared their car had run him over. From her perspective that’s what it looked like, she said, adding he risked his life to save her family.
“God protected me,” Stevenson said.
What Stevenson did next amazed Hayward. He stuck around while the Haywards waited for a tow truck and did what he could to help them through the situation.
“He was so positive and light-hearted and he really kept our spirits up,” she said. “He stayed there the whole time.”
When he shook her husband’s hand, Stevenson handed him cash and whispered into his ear to go take the kids for ice cream, Hayward said.
To her, Stevenson went way above and beyond what she would expect anyone to do.
“I just thought he had already given so much,” she said. “I’ve never experienced kindness like that: genuine selflessness from another human being.”
Hayward shared the story on Facebook in an effort to reach Stevenson and publicly thank him for helping her survive the scariest moment of her life.
That post garnered hundreds of likes and shares and it didn’t take long for Stevenson to see the post.
Stevenson said he was touched by the post and that he only did what he had to do. He didn’t expect any recognition for what he did.
“I thank God for putting me in the right place at the right time and kicking me to act,” Stevenson said.
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Reporter Jesse Major can be reached at 360-452-2345, ext. 56250, or at jmajor@peninsuladailynews.com.
