Off-duty Phoenix area nurse hailed as a hero for lifesaving act

PHOENIX - A nurse with Valleywise is being hailed as a hero for helping to save a man's life.

The nurse, Leigh Ann Sondrup, was off duty at the time. She was driving home from work when she saw a man trapped inside a flipped cement truck and quickly jumped in to help.

"There were a lot of things that happened that morning that put me there," said Sondrup. "I wouldn't normally have been there."

Leigh Ann Sondrup

For Sondrup, July 26, 2023, started out on a rather stressful note.

"I was just really tired," Sondrup recounted. "I had been – I think I was on four nights in a row at that point."

Sondrup stayed late working at Valleywise Health. She was driving home when saw a cement truck had flipped over on State Route 143 near Sky Harbor with a man trapped inside. That's when she stopped and ran to help.

"Divine intervention," said Sondrup. "All of a sudden, there were no cars coming. I could cross over. There were a couple of men there coming home from work as well."

Sondrup crawled underneath the truck and assessed the man inside. She used another man's belt as a tourniquet to help stop the bleeding.

It has been months since that fateful day, and on Oct. 18, Sondrup was honored by the Phoenix Fire Department for saving the man's life.

Sondrup said she believes everything and everyone has a purpose.

"I do believe that my heavenly father does direct my path," said Sondrup. "I'm far from perfect, but I do feel that at that particular moment, he gave me a forewarning."

As for the man who Sondrup helped save, he recently contacted her and thanked her for saving his life.

"I wish him the best," said Sondrup. "He will have good healing and much success going forward."