Sometimes, seemingly minor decisions or a few spoken words make the difference between life and death, the family of Safford Fire Chief Mike Rhodes learned when it was in a two-vehicle crash on Highway 70 west of the Bylas bridge.

Mike, his wife, Denise, and daughter, Michelle, were westbound about 5:30 a.m. Monday in the family pickup truck when a black bear lumbered onto the highway.

“All of a sudden, I noticed a bear, and I said, ‘There’s a bear,’” Mike said. “It just stopped and stood there and stared at us.”

Mike Rhodes’ pickup truck was struck from behind by a Dodge Durango on Highway 70, west of the Bylas bridge. Michelle Rhodes, Mike’s daughter, was in the back seat and suffered several fractures. Photo by Brian Wright

As Mike hit the brakes to avoid striking the bear, a Dodge Durango sport utility vehicle crashed into the back of the Rhodes’ truck, causing the truck to spin around. The bed of the truck was pushed into the back seat, Mike said.

Michelle, who was lying down on the back seat, asleep, sat up when she heard her father say, “There’s a bear.” Had Mike not mentioned the bear and Michelle remained lying down, part of the truck bed would have crashed into her head, Mike said.

He also said it was unusual that he was driving the truck. The family usually takes the car on trips, but Mike decided to take the pickup to check its gas mileage in preparation for another trip. If the family had been in the car, Michelle could have been killed or suffered more serious injuries.

“God was looking after us that day,” Mike said.

After the crash, Mike pushed his door open and went to assist Michelle, who had momentarily lost consciousness. After he called her name, she began to regain consciousness, and Mike removed her from the vehicle.

When he noticed gas was pouring out of the tank, Mike said he moved Michelle away from the truck.

Meanwhile, Denise called 911 to report the accident. When Mike noticed the occupants of the Durango were injured, he called 911 to request two air ambulances. When the signal was lost, he called again to request the ambulances. Mike said a girl in the Durango was bleeding from the head and others in that vehicle were also injured.

Three helicopters transported the most seriously injured to University Medical Center in Tucson, including Michelle. Mike called his brother, Duane, to pick him up. Mike then headed to Tucson.

“All I could think of was getting to Tucson to see my daughter,” Mike said.

The Rhodes’ younger daughter, Shannon, who lives in Phoenix, drove to UMC as soon as she learned about the accident. Shannon was already at the hospital when Mike arrived.

Mike and Denise suffered whiplash injuries. He described the occupants of the other car as “walking wounded.”

Michelle sustained three broken ribs, a broken vertebra and a broken collarbone. Although she lost consciousness, she suffered no head trauma. She is scheduled to start her fourth year of medical school in Missouri on Monday but must be approved for travel before she can go, Mike said.

One occupant of the Durango suffered a head laceration, and another sustained a contusion on her leg.

The Bylas Police Department is investigating the accident.

As for the bear, as far as anyone knows, it was not injured and went on its way.