Portsmouth, VA — For firefighter Mark Reynolds, every emergency call is a race against the clock. But nothing could have prepared him for the shock of arriving at a car crash scene and finding that one of the victims was his own wife.
It was an ordinary Thursday evening when the alarm blared at Station 17. Reports came in of a multi-vehicle collision on the interstate with injured passengers. Reynolds, a 12-year veteran firefighter, geared up instantly, unaware that this response would alter his life forever.
The Call No First Responder Wants to Face
When Engine 17 pulled up, Reynolds and his crew quickly assessed the situation. Two cars had collided head-on, and a third vehicle had crashed into the guardrail trying to avoid the impact. The team sprang into action, stabilizing the wreckage and helping the injured.
But then, as Reynolds neared one overturned car, something caught his eye—a silver heart-shaped necklace hanging from the rearview mirror. It was the gift he had given his wife, Lisa, on their anniversary.
“I remember just freezing,” Reynolds later said, his voice trembling. “I kept telling myself, It can’t be her. It can’t be. But then I saw her hand, and I knew.”