Northern student honored for aid to car crash victim

A Walled Lake Northern High School student was honored earlier this month for his efforts to help a woman involved in a car accident when no one else would.

On a rainy, dark night last October, Natalie Rohde was on her way to an ice cream social at Walled Lake Elementary School, where she teaches fifth-grade, when she was blind-sided.

While she traveling south on Bogie Lake Road past Walled Lake Northern High School, Rohde was hit by a vehicle that ignored a red light

“There was nothing I could do,” she said. “It was not a good situation. There was smoke coming out of my vehicle and people were just driving by. I just kept thinking, ‘What am I going to do?’ I didn’t know how hurt I was. My car was totaled and I was a wreck, emotionally. I have never felt so alone in my life as I watched person after person just drive past staring at us.”

Then help arrived in the form of high school Jarrett Harmon, who opened Rohde’s door while calling 911.

“He kept asking if I was okay and asking if he could call other people for me. He stayed right there the entire time. He was the epitome of what I would like my current students to achieve in that situation — calm, cool, and collected,” said Rohde, who was “banged and bruised up” but suffered no further injury.

Wearing her seatbelt saved her life.

“The Commerce EMS and police said without my seatbelt, I would’ve died,” said Rohde.

The other driver was also fine.

“Jarrett was just an amazing young man,” said Rohde, who nominated Harmon for the Walled Lake Consolidated Schools’ Golden Apple award. “He really showed a good deal of maturity that you wouldn’t even see in many adults. He really stepped up to the plate, and I was incredibly impressed.”

Harmon was honored with the award by the Board of Education at the March 1 board meeting.