MYSTIC -- A motorcyclist who was seriously injured in a bad accident last summer is lucky to be alive after a nurse just so happened to be in the area.
Brandon Kuziel, 34, of Clinton had his leg cut off during the accident. He said if it was not for the nurse who jumped in and took over, he would not be alive.
For months, Kuziel has been trying to find the nurse to say thank you and he finally was able to reconnect with her Thursday because of social media.
Kuziel was traveling on I-95 Northbound between exits 90 and 91 on a nice summer day when things took a turn for the worst.
"My front tire wobbled and threw me off the bike," said Kuziel.
Grooved pavement from construction led Kuziel to lose control of his motorcycle and seconds later, he found himself in a ditch.
"When I looked over and I saw my leg sitting 30 feet away from me on the highway, I didn’t feel any pain. I didn’t even know my leg was gone.," added Kuziel.
Kuziel's friends rushed to his aid to try and stop the bleeding until a nurse named Patricia Smith suddenly showed up.
"Out of nowhere was Patricia and she came running over in pink scrubs saying she was a trauma nurse of 12 years and came and put the tourniquet in the right place and saved my life," added Kuziel.
With the power of social media, Kuziel found her through Facebook.
FOX61 got in contact with her to talk about the horrific day and her heroic actions.
She said she just so happens to have worked in the trauma center as a nurse for 12 years at a hospital.
"I’m speechless. Like I said, I’m absolutely speechless especially being one year later, it’s just amazing to have heard from him and know that he’s doing so well," said Patricia Smith, RN of Ledyard.
Kuziel had this message for Smith.
"I guess they say everything happens for a reason. Thank you. I can’t wait to meet you," added Kuziel.
Kuziel said he works at the Crossfit High Order Gym in East Haddam where he hopes to have amputees work out there and have fun.
Both Kuziel and Smith are planning to meet in person soon.