DeOna Bridgeman was at a stoplight at a busy intersection in downtown Canby late Wednesday afternoon when, out of the corner of her eye, she saw a teenage pedestrian step off the curb and into the path of a truck pulling a camper.



Authorities say Brandon Saddler, 15, of Canby, was apparently obeying a white pedestrian signal at the corner of South Grant Street and Oregon 99E when he stepped off a curb. He was struck as he attempted to cross the highway.



Bridgeman, 38, a longtime family doctor in town with an office just blocks away, watched as Saddler was struck. She threw the car into park and bolted to the boy's aid. He had no pulse and lay motionless on his side, facing the curb. Bridgeman started chest compressions as the boy's distraught mother and onlookers stood by.



Paramedics arrived quickly and the teen let out a gasp – a sign that the CPR Bridgeman was performing was working.



Saddler was taken by LifeFlight helicopter to Legacy Emanuel Medical Center, where this morning he is in critical condition.



After turning Saddler's care over to paramedics, Bridgeman approached the boy's mom to gather any medical history that might help the paramedics. Then she turned her attention to her own son, Isaac, an 11-year-old who had witnessed it all. She said this morning that he's holding up well, and that she and her husband and two boys talked about the accident over dinner Wednesday.



They talked about staying safe when crossing the street, said Bridgeman, and to "look both ways before they cross the street. No matter what."



This isn't the first time Bridgeman has stepped in during a medical emergency.



During an April 21 lacrosse game at Ackerman Middle School, a man collapsed in cardiac arrest. Bridgeman administered cardiopulmonary resuscitation until firefighters arrived, assisting paramedics until the man was loaded into an ambulance.



For her quick thinking and decisive action, the Canby Fire District awarded her the "Heart of a Hero" last month.



-- Noelle Crombie