Updated: 9:16 PM EDT Jul 27, 2021
Lowell Melser
News Reporter, Meteorologist
A Maryland sheriff's deputy is being hailed a hero after saving the lives of three people involved in a head-on collision two years ago.She was at the right place at the right time. On July 5, 2019, Alyson Jackson was a security guard at Harford Memorial Hospital. While off duty, she stopped at the scene of a horrific crash on U.S. Route 1 in Conowingo, and with what little training she had, she managed to save three lives.Now a sheriff's deputy in Cecil County, Maryland, tucked into the northeastern corner of the state bordering Delaware and Pennsylvania, Jackson was reunited Monday with the people she saved, and she received a high honor from the Red Cross.She recalled the day she was driving home after hiking with friends."On the way back, I saw an accident up in front of me, and I looked at my best friend and I was like, 'Should we stop?' So we pulled over (and) sure enough, I ended up jumping right in, kind of figuring everything out for everyone, doing what needed to get done," Jackson said.According to investigators, a car swerved across the median, hitting two motorcycles head-on. Jackson used belts from witnesses as tourniquets and kept all the victims calm."I had no idea what I was walking into that day, you know?" Jackson said.There were four victims — Thomas Zdon and his wife, Sherry Zdon, who were on one bike. Sherry Zdon's brother, Brian Robinson, and his girlfriend, Courtney, were on the other. Thomas Zdon survived, losing an arm and a leg."I don't remember nothing about the accident. About five hours before the accident, I have no recollection," Thomas Zdon said.Sherry Zdon died from her injuries days later."It has been very horrific, and it has been a big toll on me losing an arm and a leg and my wife," Thomas Zdon said.Robinson had to have larynx reconstructive surgery and had his trach removed. His girlfriend had to undergo brain surgery. All of them told Baltimore sister station WBAL-TV that if it wasn't for Jackson, they most likely wouldn't have survived."She took the initiative to do what she did, and we're here. We might not be the same, but we're here and we're still doing a normal life," Robinson said."She means everything to us. If she wasn't there, I probably wouldn't be here, so I give my life to her," Thomas Zdon said.Jackson was awarded a top honor from the Red Cross, the certificate of extraordinary personal action.Despite being called a hero, she remains humble and eager to serve."In the moment, it wasn't me thinking about this being challenging or anything, it was just jumping in the action," Jackson said.As part of the crash investigation, it appears the person who caused the crash was charged with minor traffic offenses.