Southeast Missouri man assists in saving 18-year-olds life after traffic crash

CAPE COUNTY, Mo. (KBSI) – According to the traffic crash report around 11:50 am on January 20, 2025, on route AB an 18-year-old from Advance driving a 2008 Toyota Prius crossed the center of the roadway and struck a 2000 freightliner semi driven by a 70-year-old from Chaffee.

The driver of the semi reported no injuries, the 18-year-old identified at Damion Crader suffered severe injuries.

On this same day Travis Gibson and his wife were traveling down route AB to go watch his granddaughter play volleyball.

Little did he know that they would drive up to the scene of a terror-ific crash.

Gibson explains how he sprang into action to help save an 18-year-olds life.

“We kept him calm and there as the fire and rescue got there. We were under the blanket and the first thing that starts to happen when you start to lose blood is you start to go to sleep, and you could see ya know his eyes starting to get a little heavy and that’s when I told them were going to need blood, stat, right now.”

Gibson says as they drove up, they could see a semi across the road with minor damage and a car completely totaled.

Saying he knew whoever was in the car would need help fast.

“The thing about is you have to know how you’re going to react before you ever even get there. And for whatever reason when I came around that 18-wheeler to stop, and I pulled up on the shoulder of the incident and I came out of the jeep, grabbed my bag and that’s the first thing I went for. Grabbed all my gauze packs.” 

When Gibson got to the 18-year-old later identified as Damion Crader from Advance, he could see a deep laceration on his neck where he was losing a lot of blood. Gibson then climbed into the mangled vehicle with Crader and applied gauze and pressure to Craders neck for 19 minutes.

“The pressure saved his life. I mean there’s no question. No doubt about it” says Gibson.

Crader was taken by ambulance to Saint Francis medical center where he was then taken to a hospital in St. Louis in critical condition. Damion’s father Tim Crader says he has undergone two surgery’s and is on a breathing machine but is now in stable condition. Thankful for the people who assisted in saving his sons life.

“The most important thing, ya know everybody has watched this stuff on tv whether it’s a movie, or tv show and its real so don’t be afraid to stop and help. I mean it’s crucial. Whether your directing traffic, which is what one of the lady’s done, she stepped away and she actually sent me messages, she said she could hear me talking to him and keeping him calm. Ya know like I told you yesterday there was a lot of crying involved. Alot of people shared a lot of things” says Gibson.

Damion’s father Travis says he will have to go through more surgeries in the next few days and says the support they’ve received from the community and Advance school district school district has been huge.

Gibson says he was simply in the right place at the right time- “It was just timing. Just a blessing.” 

If you would like to send the Crader family a donation you can find a go fund me link here:

Fundraiser by Alyson Fluchel : Donate for Damion’s Healing Journey