Brothers receive award for Good Samaritan reaction
Residents Mark Tice and Matt Tice stood before the gallery at the Providence Village Town Council meeting on Tuesday night to receive the Spirit of Providence Village award.
The brothers earned the honor with their quick reaction to a stranger and his baby in need on May 17.
'They were on their way to the adult softball game,' Mayor Linda Inman said. 'They stopped at 7-Eleven, and as soon as they got out of the car, an automobile crash [happened] and they swiftly went into action.'
The brothers recounted their response at the scene of the accident on Tuesday.
'An 18-wheeler ran the red light, and he didn't even see it coming,' Matt said. 'First thing he said when he actu- ally came to was, 'Did I run a red light?'' The brothers were worried the accident was going to have an even worse outcome.
'At first, when we ran up, I thought he was lifeless,' Mark said. 'He wasn't even moving.'
The two spotted Giles Corey's baby in the backseat and tried to get in any of the doors or windows but couldn't.
Matt ran to find a tool to break the rear window, while Mark banged his elbow against the glass.
'Once the door was unlocked, I was able to get in, reach over the back seat, unlock the back door and unlatch the baby, and then pick up the baby and handed him off,' Mark said.
The cab of the vehicle was filled with some smoke from the airbags being deployed.
As Corey came to, he tried to move.
The brothers told him to stay still because they didn't know the extent of his injuries.
Once Mark's elbow was bandaged, the Tice brothers continued on to the softball field. Andrew Tice, Mark's son, said he was so proud of his dad and uncle, and Mark's fiancée Ashley Thatcher called the men 'unlikely heroes.'
'It felt like God put them there at the right time for the right purpose, because if he would have left the house five minutes later, it could have been a lot worse,' she said.
Inman, who lives near Corey, said she believes the Tice brothers' actions embody the spirit of the town.
'I wanted to award them for showing exemplary behavior,' Inman said. 'We wish all of our residents would jump in and help out their neighbors in this way, and so I wanted to let them know how much I appreciate them. ... We truly appreciate your heroic efforts.'
Also at the meeting, the council tabled action on a possible property tax exemption for child care facilities to allow staff and the council to research the implications and commitment level required of the town.
The council also discussed a record management program, with discussion centering on how the information regarding agendas and primary documents submitted to the town would be stored and retained.
