Oregon City man’s quick-thinking after crash helps save life, leads to start of lifelong friendship

PORTLAND, Ore. (KPTV) – An Oregon City man rushed into action after a head-on crash happened right in front of him, and it was all caught on camera.

Mike Phung, a part-time Uber driver, was heading south toward Lake Oswego on Highway 43 when the crash happened in front of him and was caught on his dashcam.

“It just took me by surprise, obviously. It was crazy. It was absolutely crazy,” he said.

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Phung was confronted with a life and death situation on that rainy October morning. But it wasn’t the first time.

As fate would have it, Phung is a veteran combat medic who served multiple tours in Iraq, and despite recovering from a broken arm himself, his instincts and training kicked in immediately.

“For a split second, in my head, I was thinking, ‘Where are you? What is going on?’” he said. “I was thinking to myself, you’re right back in it, you know. Just for a split second, and after that I realized it’s go time, it’s time to rock and roll.”

The impact set both cars on fire. The driver of a BMW escaped on his own with relatively minor injuries, while the driver of a Subaru was trapped.

“So, I run towards the vehicles, the two burning vehicles and both her front doors were damaged, where I couldn’t open them,” Phung said. “And the whole time, she was screaming in pain. She was yelling in pain, and I kept telling her, ‘It’s OK honey, I know. But we gotta get out of here, both cars were on fire.’”

Phung, and others, were able to pull the driver to safety, away from the burning wreckage.

The Clackamas County Sheriff’s Office ruled the crash an accident, saying the slick conditions led to the Subaru losing control and bouncing off the guardrail.

The Subaru driver, Holly Morris, was rushed to OHSU with critical injuries. With no close family in town, she faced the prospect of spending months in the hospital – much of it alone. But Phung would not let that happen.

When Phung heard about Morris’ situation, he headed straight to the hospital.

“I remember his voice through the whole wreck, the whole time. Like, ‘we gotta get this going. We gotta get her out of the car,’” Morris said. “And, like, he saved my life, like straight up, and I’m so appreciative of him.”

Phung promised to continue to check up on Morris, which he did. Enlisting his family to make regular visits, celebrating Morris’s birthday and including her in the family’s holiday celebrations.

Now, nearly four months later, “Auntie Holly” is considered a family member. The remarkable result of a painful crash, and that first hospital visit.

“When he came to the hospital the first time, I was like, ‘I know exactly who you are.’ Like, his voice,” Morris said. “I was so happy to see him, because I didn’t expect him to come up there, you know. But, I’m so glad he did.”

Morris remembers the crash and how Phung stepped into action.

“It was just really scary, and I felt like I was dying. And then, Mike came out of nowhere,” she said. “He literally calmed me down to make me, like recline the seat and unlock the back door, and luckily that door opened and he was able to pull me out.”

As she recovers with the support of her Oregon family, Morris is moving forward with immense gratitude. A lesson instilled by the man she calls her guardian angel.

“He didn’t think twice about saving my life, and I don’t know what I would have done if he wasn’t there. I probably would have died,” she said. “But I’m very thankful for him.”

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Morris’s recovery is continuing slowly but steadily. She ended up spending more than three months in the hospital and underwent multiple surgeries.

Meanwhile, Phung is being recognized for his heroic actions. The Lake Oswego Police Department recently honored him with their Community Service Award.

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