Amazon driver delivers life-saving help for elderly California man suffering brain bleed

Jessi Lawhorn delivered Amazon packages — and critical medical care — while working her route in Placer County this weekend.

Lawhorn, 24, was conducting her rounds in Loomis about 4:30 p.m. Saturday, dropping off packages as a driver with Extender Express LLC, a company that contracts with Amazon to distribute packages. She approached a home where an elderly man awaited his items.

The man fell as he walked toward Lawhorn and hit his head on the concrete. Lawhorn rushed to him to stanch his bleeding head, she said in an interview.

“He smacked the ground pretty hard,” Lawhorn said.

She called 911 dispatchers, who relayed medical advice to keep the man well. For five intense minutes, Lawhorn said she did everything she could to keep the man awake.

They talked about his home he built with his bare hands. They talked about his kids and family, she said, trying to ensure he remained calm.

“The five minutes felt like so long,” Lawhorn said. “But, (first responders) got there so quick.”

The man suffered a brain bleed and spent the night in an intensive care unit, said Natalie Banke, an Amazon spokeswoman. The injury is a potentially life-threatening condition that requires immediate treatment, according to the Mayo Clinc.

Lawhorn’s employer credited her with providing vital care for the man’s dangerous condition that can worsen by the minute.

“I didn’t want him to feel alone,” she said.

The man has been released from the hospital and is home, Banke said.

Reflecting on the high-stress incident, Lawhorn said it reminded her life can change in an instant.

“I’m just happy he’s OK,” she said, “and that I was in the right place at the right time.”

The man could not be reached for comment.

This story was originally published October 22, 2024 at 1:41 PM.