Angela Johnson was driving an Indiana Department of Transportation dump truck on a highway construction site when the vehicle rolled. She was ejected through the windshield, and the truck rolled across her chest. The 911 call came in only as an unknown traffic accident. By the time New Castle-Henry County EMS arrived, Angela was bleeding to death at the side of the road.

The agency was ready. In early 2024, through a partnership with Versiti Blood Center of Indiana, New Castle-Henry County EMS began carrying whole blood on a shift supervisor’s chase vehicle, available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. The program was made possible with support from the Henry County Community Foundation, the Henry County Health Department, other local organizations and private donors. Crews had been carrying blood for a few months but had not yet needed it. Angela was the first patient to receive it.

Today, New Castle-Henry County EMS supports its program with the Triad of Life, an integrated approach that brings together blood storage and monitoring, warming, and rapid infusion. The Delta APRU 6L Portable Blood Refrigerator keeps units stored and monitored until they are needed, QinFlow warms blood to body temperature, and LifeFlow delivers it rapidly to patients in hemorrhagic shock. With all three working together, crews can move from the cooler to the patient without losing critical minutes.

Angela’s story, and Chief Justin Harrison’s, was filmed for the Economics of Prehospital Blood Conference in Washington, DC in April 2026. It is a powerful reminder of why prehospital blood matters, and why so many American communities are still working toward access to this lifesaving intervention.

Watch the full story here: https://youtu.be/Pn4PsTgM6tE