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Boy's heroic actions help critically injured womanBy ED QUIOCO © St. Petersburg Times, published April 9, 2001 Stumbling and exhausted, a 12-year-old boy managed to carry a critically injured woman to a relative's home after the four-wheeler they were riding crashed into a barbed wire fence. Troy Diaz, who has been living with the woman's family in the Riverview area of Hillsborough County, was knocked off the back of the four-wheeler but wasn't seriously hurt, said his mother, Doreen Diaz of Texas. Lori Dixon, 25, who was driving the vehicle, was taken to Bayfront Medical Center, where she remained in critical condition Sunday night. Troy had to untangle Dixon from the barbed wire after the accident Thursday afternoon in the Myakka City area of Manatee County before carrying Dixon back to her father's home. With Dixon bleeding severely, Troy fell a few of times on the way to the house because of the weight and "just laid out, just exhausted from carrying her" after arriving at the home, Mrs. Diaz said Sunday. "It was a nasty accident," Mrs. Diaz said. "I know it was quite traumatic for Troy." Troy, his older brother Anthony, 15, and their father John, 33, have lived with Mrs. Dixon and her husband, Russell, on Krycul Avenue in Riverview since February. No one answered the door at the home Sunday night. "I think he's hurt by her condition because they have bonded in the few months they have been together," Mrs. Diaz said. "I think it was devastating for him." Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office spokeswoman Debbie Carter said Sunday she had heard about the accident but didn't know the details. The Manatee County Sheriff's Office was unable to find a report of the incident Sunday. Troy's relatives said they are amazed that he was able to carry Mrs. Dixon back to the house. The distance between the crash site and home wasn't clear. Troy's aunt, Rhonda Bennett, said the boy vividly recalls Mrs. Dixon's injuries, including a deep cut in her neck. "He thought he did the best to save her and now she can still die," said Bennett, 37. "I think God saved him to help her." Mrs. Diaz said Troy probably is not ready to talk in detail about the accident. "He told me that everything happened so fast that I'm not sure how much of it he remembers," Mrs. Diaz said. Mrs. Diaz moved to Texas in January because of her job. At first her husband and two sons moved with her to Texas, but both sons wanted to return to Florida so they went back with their father and starting living with the Dixons. - Staff writer Tim Grant contributed to this report.
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