This Coastal Connection is sponsored by Baths by Spicer Bros.
SUSSEX COUNTY, Del. -A summer bike ride turned into a life-threatening emergency for Chris Evans, a local cyclist who was struck by an SUV while crossing Route 9 at Sweetbriar Road along the Lewes-Georgetown Trail.
The crash happened in August 2025, and Evans was left with a traumatic brain injury, fractured bones in his arm, leg and pelvis, and damage to his lungs, heart, kidneys and liver.
"I guess there was a car coming that I didn’t see," Evans said.
Evans’ wife, Amy, received the call that would change their lives. “I received a call from Beebe Hospital, an actual ER nurse who said my husband was in a severe accident,” she recalled.
As doctors and nurses worked to keep Evans alive at Beebe Medical Center and later at Christiana Hospital, it was the swift action of Sussex County paramedics that first stabilized him. Emergency crews administered a life-saving treatment known as whole blood, a relatively new addition to Delaware’s emergency response protocols.
Dr. Paul Cowan explaining how whole blood was vital in saving the life of bicycle crash victim Chris Evans.
“Whole blood was the absolute difference. There is no chance we are here today (with Chris) without whole blood in the back of the ambulance,” said Dr. Paul Cowan, medical director for Sussex County EMS.
Whole blood contains red blood cells, plasma, platelets, and clotting factors—everything needed to stop life-threatening bleeding fast. Paramedics began carrying whole blood in May 2023 as part of a pilot program. Since then, it has expanded statewide, making Delaware the only state where every paramedic agency has access to the treatment.
“The reason that it works is because it has all the natural clotting factors, the white blood cells, the red blood cells, everything you need in order to help resuscitate somebody who's dying from hemorrhagic shock,” said Jordan Dattoli, field training coordinator for Sussex County EMS.
A partnership with the Blood Bank of Delmarva makes the program possible. The organization provides blood for EMS teams across the state, supported by local donations.
Evans recently reunited with the team who helped save his life at the Sussex County Public Safety building in December. He arrived using a walking stick, still recovering but determined to heal fully and one day ride again.
Retired New York firefighter Charlie Kortlang was among the good Samaritans who help Evans right after the crash until paramedics arrived.
“You were a mess. I’ve seen some ugly stuff, but you were a mess, and I’m happy to see you sitting here,” Kortlang said during the reunion.
For the Evans family, the moment was emotional.
“Chris is here today (December 2025), with his family to celebrate the holidays, which is the biggest blessing we could ever have,” said Amy.
“This whole event made me realize how fragile life really is,” Chris added. “I’m here because they do what they do.”