Retail Associate Angela Mertens was driving to the Spivey, KS, Post Office early one morning when something in a field caught her attention.
At first she thought it was farm equipment and kept going, but then she decided to turn around and investigate.
The Postal Service employee found an empty, wrecked vehicle. A young man was lying on the ground nearby, unconscious. He was cold but still alive.
Mertens called 911, covered the man with a blanket she keeps in her truck and stayed with him until paramedics arrived. She then helped police officers find the man’s wallet.
The man was taken to a hospital in Wichita, KS, and later transferred to a rehabilitation facility in Nebraska.
The incident left him with short-term memory loss, so the cause of the accident remains unknown.
“Who knows what would have happened if Angie hadn’t turned around,” said Jeremy Manthe, a local customer service supervisor. “Her actions demonstrate that postal employees do more than just handle the mail. We make a difference every day.”
Employees featured in “Heroes” receive letters of commendation through the Postmaster General Heroes’ Program. The nomination form is available on Blue.
