JOINT BASE LEWIS-McCHORD, Wash. – Three U.S. Army Soldiers intervened during a roadside emergency on Interstate 5 near DuPont, Washington, Oct. 5, 2026, protecting two children from harm following a vehicle crash. The three service members stopped independently at the scene and worked together as the situation shifted from a vehicle crash to an immediate threat to the children.

Sgt. 1st Class Jeff Hytower, a practical nursing specialist instructor at Madigan Army Medical Center, was driving to work at Joint Base Lewis-McChord when he encountered an overturned vehicle on Interstate 5. After safely stopping to render aid, Hytower approached the vehicle and saw a woman armed with a knife attacking her two children.

“I just jumped up, it was just instinct,” Hytower said. “That’s when training kicks in.”

Hytower intervened and worked to separate the woman from the children while isolating the knife. Sgt. Ricardo A. Nunez, assigned to 7th Infantry Division (Multi-Domain Command–Pacific), also stopped at the scene and assisted Hytower in disarming and restraining the woman.

“Once I saw the knife … I was just trying to isolate that knife from anyone trying to cause harm,” Hytower said.

As Hytower and Nunez responded to the immediate threat, Sgt. Alexis McKay, a Washington Army National Guard medic assigned to the 181st Light Support Battalion, 81st Mobile Brigade Combat Team, helped care for and comfort one of the injured children until law enforcement and emergency personnel arrived.

“I am glad I was there to help those girls and was just in the right place at the right time,” Nunez said. “I am also very glad the other two were there and that we were able to work together.”

The service members’ response shifted from stopping the immediate threat to caring for the injured children as law enforcement and emergency personnel responded to the scene.

“She was very afraid, but also very, very brave,” McKay said when describing one of the children. For Hytower, the incident combined his responsibilities as a Soldier and his experience as a medical professional.

“With both my Soldier and medical training, you’re taught to quickly figure out what needs to be done and prioritize what’s most important,” Hytower said. “When the situation suddenly changed, we were able to react quickly and make sure everyone was safe. A lot of that comes from the training we’ve received and being able to fall back on it without really having to think about it.”

McKay, the Army National Guard Soldier, said her first priority was moving the child away from the immediate threat and assessing her for injuries.

“As a medic, my number one priority was pulling the child a safe distance away from the immediate threat, where she would be safe and not have to see the aftermath,” McKay said.

McKay said the experience reinforced the importance of maintaining basic medical skills across the force.

“This experience confirmed something that I've always felt. Basic medical training is so immensely important for every Soldier,” McKay said. “You never know when those skills might be needed.”

The actions at the incident site reflect qualities I Corps emphasizes across its formations, specifically in caring for others. Army and I Corps guidance captured in service-wide doctrine and unit standards call upon Soldiers to exercise disciplined initiative and professional military judgment on and off duty.

“The heroic and quick-thinking actions of Sgt. 1st Class Hytower, Sgt. Nunez, and Sgt. McKay on Interstate 5 on Oct. 5 highlights the value of military training and the readiness of our Soldiers, their actions demonstrate a profound commitment to protecting others when seconds mattered most,” said U.S. Army Col. Robert Carter, I Corps Public Affairs Director.

I Corps’ leader development priority focuses on strengthening the Profession of Arms by developing leaders prepared to operate in complex and ambiguous environments. Through training, education and experience, Soldiers develop the judgment and confidence necessary to assess changing conditions, make decisions and act when circumstances demand it.

For McKay, the response also reinforced the trust service members place in one another, even when those responding come from different organizations.

“Also knowing that I can trust the service men and women to my right and left with my life and my safety,” McKay said. “If it weren't for the quick reaction of Soldiers, this would have ended in tragedy. It makes me proud to wear the uniform.”

For Hytower, the response ultimately came down to recognizing that someone needed help and choosing to act.

“I hope people take away that sometimes you just have to be willing to step up and help,” Hytower said. “None of us stopped that morning expecting anything like this to happen. We just saw people who needed help and did what we would want others to do for us and our families.”

Hytower said each person at the scene contributed to the response, from providing medical care, keeping the children calm, calling for help and maintaining safety.

“We weren’t looking for recognition; we were just trying to do the right thing,” Hytower said.“It makes you proud to serve alongside people like that … who would take the initiative to put themselves in harm’s way to make sure everyone else is safe,” Hytower said.