Steve Charron

Home: Lilburn, a northeastern suburb of Atlanta in Gwinnett County

Date of trauma: Sunday, April 2, 2006

Age at time of trauma: 49

Trauma incident: Charron was riding his Harley Davidson motorcycle on Highway 78 through Loganville at about 4:30 p.m. when a Ford Expedition coming from the opposite direction stopped at the intersection of Lee Byrd Road and turned left in front of him. Charron had about 10-15 feet to react and hit the passenger side of the Expedition.

Trauma response: Loganville police and a Walton EMS ambulance arrived at the site about five minutes after they were called at 4:31 p.m. Emergency medical technicians assessed Charron's injuries and transported him to Loganville Middle School where he was intubated and flown by a Rescue Air 1 helicopter to Atlanta Medical Center, a designated Level II trauma center near downtown Atlanta. He arrived at the trauma center at 5:28 p.m. - inside the "golden hour."

At one point following the crash, Charron stopped breathing and was revived. He suffered serious head and facial injuries: broken cheekbones and nose, lacerated lips, as well as broken and bulging cervical discs, lung contusions and a broken left wrist. Trauma physicians including surgeon Dr. Ignatius Akpele and resident Dr. Walaya Methodius Ngwodo stabilized Charron.

Several days later, he underwent surgery on his face, mouth and wrist.

The trauma care difference: "With the roadways so congested, there would not have been a way to transport him to any hospital that quickly without the helicopter," says Charron's wife, Nancy, who works as a lab director at Gwinnett Medical Center. "Timing is definitely a key factor in a better outcome, and trauma centers are better equipped to address all of a victim's injuries as a whole. Trauma specialists know how each injury affects the others. We believe that Steve's inpatient stay was shorter and his outcome was better because of the care he received at a trauma center."

Status: As of June 2006-only eight weeks after the crash - Charron is back at his job several hours a day as the general manager of a pool and spa distribution center.

(Photo: Steve Charron, photographed at a motorcycle rally only hours before his accident)