Heck, Rubio come to aid of West Virginia car wreck victims

U.S. Rep. Joe Heck and Sen. Marco Rubio sprang into action Thursday night after they witnessed a fatal car wreck in West Virginia.

Heck, R-Nev., and Rubio, R-Fla., assisted the victims until first responders arrived at the rainy scene, according to a Heck spokesman.

Heck is a physician with emergency room experience. He and Rubio were traveling back to their hotel from an event in St. Clairsville, Ohio, The Associated Press reported.

One person, 62-year-old Bernard Bachmann of Pennsylvania, died in the four-vehicle crash, according to The Intelligencer and Wheeling News-Register newspaper. The crash occurred along Interstate 70 about 9:30 p.m.

Politico reported that a “semi-trailer truck on the opposite side of the road lost control and crossed the median, striking the three cars” in front of the vehicle in which Heck and Rubio were traveling.

“Lisa and I want to join the Rubios in offering prayers and condolences to those grieving and wish a speedy recovery to the injured,” Heck said Friday in a statement from himself and his wife. “As always, we have great respect for the first responders who handle such cases every day.”

Rubio also thanked “all of the first responders who arrived quickly and did their jobs with swift professionalism.”