A former Wyoming state senator was crushed by a 4,000-pound trailer Sunday.
Had it not been for a good samaritan who spotted Tom James while driving past his farm in Carpenter, the former Green River lawmaker may have died.
“I don't know what I would have done if he had not survived. We are newlyweds and he is my whole life,” his wife Jennifer James told Cowboy State Daily on Monday morning.
Tom James, a Republican, served in the Wyoming Legislature from 2019-2022. He moved to Carpenter, about 35 minutes east of Cheyenne, earlier this summer.
Jennifer James said her husband’s left leg is paralyzed and it’s still unknown whether it will recover.
How It Happened?
Tom James, 40, became pinned beneath the trailer while alone on his farm attempting to disconnect it from a truck. His wife said the footing on the trailer broke, causing it to roll over onto him.
Jennifer James said her husband was pinned for about 20 minutes before anyone saw him. A registered nurse, Jennifer James was on her way home from work in Laramie at the time of the incident.
It was not until about five cars passed that a man from Greeley, Colorado, finally spotted Tom James near the gate of the farm and heard his calls for help.
The man attempted to raise the trailer with a car jack before emergency responders arrived, but was not successful.
Speedy Response
Volunteer responders from Laramie County Fire District #6, based out of Burns, were able to get the trailer off James rather quickly, about 30 minutes after it had fallen on him.
With the help of American Medical Response, James was life-flighted to the Medical Center of the Rockies in Loveland, Colorado, where he was treated by a trauma team.
He was still in the hospital as of Monday morning in stable condition. James suffered severe damage to his left leg and left hand, and is expected to recover and will be attending physical therapy.
Jennifer James credited the quick response of the good Samaritan, her neighbors and emergency responders for saving her husband’s life. She said her husband is in good spirits and thanked those who have offered support on social media and through prayer.
Leo Wolfson can be reached at leo@cowboystatedaily.com.
