Right tools, right time

For Matt Hester, it was about being at the right place at the right time, with the right tool when he was called upon to save a life.

And on Thursday afternoon, the 36-year-old co-owner of Clean & Coat Systems heard his calling when a toddler was pinned underneath his mother's vehicle right behind Hester's shop at 3070 Skyway Drive, Suite 101.

Three-year-old Javier Ramirez survived the accident with moderate injuries.

Police say the boy's mother, Olga Guzman, 31, of Santa Maria, was backing up her vehicle about 4:30 p.m. when she felt a bump.

When she got out of her car and saw her son underneath the vehicle, she panicked, said Santa Maria police Cpl. Dan Miller.

“I heard some people yelling and thought somebody had gotten ran over,” said Hester, who at the time was inside the shop working on his dirt bike just a few feet from the vehicle.

Hester looked underneath the car and saw a 3-year-old boy directly beneath the center of the vehicle with knees to his chest and blood coming from his head.

“You never forget that,” he said.

“Without hesitation,” Miller said, Hester ran out with a floor jack - one which is typically used to lift heavy equipment such as pressure washers and other cleaning equipment at his business. Hester believes he is the only one in the block who has a floor jack.

This time Hester cranked the jack to carefully lift the vehicle, working from its passenger side, and made room to free the boy. Paramedics took over shortly after.

The quiet Skyway Business Park across from the Santa Maria Public Airport soon drew attention as fire trucks and police arrived.

The boy was rushed to Marian Medical Center by ambulance and then airlifted to Santa Barbara Cottage Hospital, where he remains in good condition, said hospital spokeswoman Joan Galvan.

Hester said he's never been called to save someone and added that he didn't set out to become a hero that day.

He said his concern was for the woman and her child.

“I got kids,” he said. “I know how it is.”

Police have not yet been able to determined how the boy got behind the vehicle. His mother claims she thought he was already inside when she began to back up.

Friday, police said they believe the incident was purely accidental and do not expect to file charges against Guzman.

Hester said he had seen the boy and two girls eating candy near the vehicle.

Co-workers of Guzman said she works for the human resource department for UCP Work Inc., which has offices next to Hester's business.

Guzman is on maternity leave because she gave birth to her third child in February and had stopped by the office Thursday to say hello, said Nina Almaguer, a close friend and co-worker.

Almaguer said Guzman cares about her children and this incident is not likely to be forgotten any time soon.

“She is a wonderful mother and right now she's devastated,” Almaguer said.

Luis Ernesto Gomez can be reached at 739-2218, or lgomez@

santamariatimes.com.

March 17, 2007