Four police officers, including Buffalo State University Police officer Lieutenant William Ginnick, were recognized by the North Tonawanda City Council in a ceremony on July 7 for their response that helped save a teenager’s life after he was struck by a vehicle while riding an electric scooter.
On June 12, a North Tonawanda Senior High School student was riding an e-scooter and failed to yield to traffic with a green light, resulting in a crash at the intersection of Nash Road and Meadow Drive. Once police were notified of the incident, the first two to respond were the school resource officers, Lieutenant Erik Herbert and Officer Mary Ellen Parish; Ginnick and North Tonawanda K9 Officer Jeff Kam arrived on the scene shortly thereafter. Ginnick was off duty at the time of the accident.
“I pulled out of the parking lot to go to the intermediate school, and while waiting in the left-hand turn lane at the intersection of Nash and Meadow, that’s when I heard the police cars, the sirens, and saw the lights coming,” Ginnick said. “I drove over the curb to get my vehicle out of the way, and ran on foot to the intersection and met the officers there as they were getting there. If I’m in a position to help somebody, I’m willing to do that in any moment, regardless of whether the uniforms are on or off. It's unfortunate that something like this happened, but I’m glad that I was there to help in any way that I could.”
“I am proud of the actions taken by Lieutenant William Ginnick in helping the North Tonawanda Police Department save this young person’s life,” said Steve Cahoon, Buffalo State Assistant Chief of Police. “Having worked with Lieutenant Ginnick for many years, I am not surprised that he jumped into action while off duty. I am grateful and blessed to be able to work with such law enforcement professionals every day. Our thoughts are with the child and their family as they continue their recovery.”
The teen is expected to make a full recovery, according to officials.
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