Photos: The Good Samaritan: A Tucson mom stopped to help a stranger. Then came the crash.
- Updated
On April 19 Norma Santos-Trujillo got out of her car to help Felix and Maria Moreira push their stalled SUV out of the road near the intersection of Campbell Ave. and Irvington Road. She was struck by another car and severely injured. Norma suffered third degree burns, a broken neck and lost both of her legs. Now she is figuring out how to put her life back together.
The Good Samaritan
- Mamta Popat / Arizona Daily Star
- Updated
Norma Santos Trujillo works on her upper body strength during a rehab session with Janelle Borg, a physical therapist, at HealthSouth Rehabilitation Institute of Tucson in July.
The Good Samaritan
- Mamta Popat / Arizona Daily Star
- Updated
The scene on Campbell Avenue near Irvington Road where Norma Santos Trujillo, a 32-year-old Tucson mom, was hit by a car as she helped to push a stranger’s stalled SUV on April 19.
The Good Samaritan
- Mamta Popat / Arizona Daily Star
- Updated
Felix and Maria Moreira were traveling on Irvington Road just west of Campbell Avenue when their Ford Explorer stalled. Norma Santos Trujillo, in a car behind them, got out to help Felix push the SUV into a bus pullout as Maria steered.
The Good Samaritan
- Mamta Popat / Arizona Daily Star
- Updated
Felix Moreira shows where Norma Santos Trujillo and another man were standing, to push his stalled SUV, when a car driven by Sergio Castro hit Norma. Felix says he feels as if he should have been hit that night and not Norma.
The Good Samaritan
- Mamta Popat / Arizona Daily Star
- Updated
Norma Santos Trujillo, center, wanted to meet the first responders whom she credits with helping to save her life. Here she talks with TFD Capt. Ray Dashiell, left, and Chris Clegg.
The Good Samaritan
- Mamta Popat / Arizona Daily Star
- Updated
Norma Santos Trujillo tries wheeling herself up a ramp for the first time during a rehab session with physical therapist Janelle Borg at HealthSouth Rehabilitation Institute of Tucson.
The Good Samaritan
- Mamta Popat / Arizona Daily Star
- Updated
Norma Santos Trujillo suffered third-degree burns on her upper body and along her right arm when she was pinned under the car.
The Good Samaritan
- Photo provided by Norma Santos Trujillo
- Updated
Norma Santos Trujillo with her three children, Josslyn, right, and twin boys Kaleb, lower left and Dean in March 2017.
The Good Samaritan
- Mamta Popat / Arizona Daily Star
- Updated
Norma Santos Trujillo is wheeled into the house by her husband, Michael, as she returns home to stay on July 06. Some of Michael's co-workers donated their sick leave to him so Michael wouldn't have to worry about missing work.
The Good Samaritan
- Mamta Popat / Arizona Daily Star
- Updated
Norma Santos Trujillo is happy to see her dogs on July 06 after a long time away from home.
The Good Samaritan
- Mamta Popat / Arizona Daily Star
- Updated
Norma bears a scar on the back of her neck where plates, titanium rods and screws were put in place to reattach the spinal column to her skull. Norma lost 70% of rotation in her neck. Due to this injury any fall in the wrong way could cause paralysis or death.
(July 06, 2017)
The Good Samaritan
- Mamta Popat / Arizona Daily Star
- Updated
Norma Santos Trujillo gives her son, Kaleb, 3, a ride as he battles zombies on July 06. Norma says her kids have dubbed her wheelchair "the car."
The Good Samaritan
- Mamta Popat / Arizona Daily Star
- Updated
As Norma Santos Trujillo recovered in the hospital, her children — 10-year-old Josslyn and 3-year-old twins Kaleb and Dean — made gifts with encouraging words.
The Good Samaritan
- Mamta Popat / Arizona Daily Star
- Updated
Norma Santos Trujillo and her husband, Michael, cook up breakfast for their three kids. After being home for a week, Norma settled into a routine of helping in the kitchen.
The Good Samaritan
- Mamta Popat / Arizona Daily Star
- Updated
Norma Santos Trujillo is the safe zone for her son, Dean, 3, as he's chased by his sister Josslyn on July 13. Norma says one of her big motivations since the accident is to be able to keep up with her kids. She says she misses being able to roll around on the floor with them to play wrestle.
The Good Samaritan
- Mamta Popat / Arizona Daily Star
- Updated
Wendy Miller, a physical medicine and rehabilitation doctor, examines the burns on Norma's arm as her husband, Michael Trujillo, watches during a home visit on July 26, 2017. Norma was pinned underneath the car that hit her on April 19. The muffler was burning her skin until several men at the scene lifted and moved the car off her.
The Good Samaritan
- Mamta Popat / Arizona Daily Star
- Updated
Norma and her daughter, Josslyn Trujillo, 10, joke around as they hang out in Norma's bedroom on July 26, 2017. Norma lost her right leg at scene of the wreck, her left one was amputated at the hospital.
The Good Samaritan
- Mamta Popat / Arizona Daily Star
- Updated
“I’m taking it day by day. There’s no point looking back. It’s the end of a chapter,” says Norma. “The key is to find that one thing that gets you out of bed. For me it’s my children, my husband, my family.” Norma helps her son, Kaleb Trujillo, 3, with his helmet before heading outside to ride his bike in the neighborhood on July 26, 2017. After the car crash life seemed to just stop. Norma's twin boys refused to ride their bikes until Mom came home.
The Good Samaritan
- Mamta Popat / Arizona Daily Star
- Updated
Norma Santos Trujillo rolls herself back home with her son, Dean at her side, after a short walk in the neighborhood on July 26. Because of her burns, it is uncomfortable for Norma to be outside in the Tucson heat and humidity.
The Good Samaritan
- Mamta Popat / Arizona Daily Star
- Updated
Michael Trujillo shares a moment with his wife, Norma, as AJ Jolivett, left, community care coordinator, and Sarah Don, a prosthetist, look at what Norma calls her "nubs" of her severed legs at Hanger Clinic.
The Good Samaritan
- Mamta Popat / Arizona Daily Star
- Updated
As each day passes Norma grows stronger and more determined to be independent. Here she shows her mother, Marie del Carmen Santos, how she's able to move around while wearing new gel liners on September 13, 2017.
The Good Samaritan
- Mamta Popat / Arizona Daily Star
- Updated
Norma Santos Trujillo takes one last look at her sons after dropping them off with Michael for their first day of preschool at Laura N. Banks Elementary School on August 14.
The Good Samaritan
- Mamta Popat / Arizona Daily Star
- Updated
Nayelly Santos, left, Norma Santos Trujillo's older sister, came to the scene of the crash after her daughter, Vanessa Marin, called to say Norma had been hit by a car.
The Good Samaritan
- Mamta Popat / Arizona Daily Star
- Updated
“I feel like I should help,” was one of the last things Norma said to her niece, Vanessa Marin, above, before stepping out of the car to help a couple push their stalled SUV out of the road.
The Good Samaritan
- Mamta Popat / Arizona Daily Star
- Updated
Vanessa Marin is very close with her aunt Norma Santos Trujillo. The two share a charm bracelet that when put together spells out “Partners in Crime.”
The Good Samaritan
- Mamta Popat / Arizona Daily Star
- Updated
"They told me to cry but go back and be strong. My friend was my angel." Written by Norma Santos Trujillo in a sketchpad after she was out of the intensive care unit at Banner University Medical Center Tucson and wasn't able to speak due to her intubation tube. The pad was used for a couple of weeks to communicate. Her niece, Vanessa Marin, kept the book.
The Good Samaritan
- Mamta Popat / Arizona Daily Star
- Updated
"Yes I remember everytime I sleep it comes back to me Vanessa, you break my heart b/c I saw how much pain you girls were in. Body against 2 cars!" Written by Norma Santos Trujillo in a sketchpad after she was out of the intensive care unit at Banner University Medical Center Tucson and wasn't able to speak due to her intubation tube. The pad was used for a couple of weeks to communicate. Her niece, Vanessa Marin, kept the book. September 10, 2017.
The Good Samaritan
- Mamta Popat / Arizona Daily Star
- Updated
"Wish I never got out of the car." Written by Norma Santos Trujillo in a sketchpad after she was out of the intensive care unit at Banner University Medical Center Tucson and wasn't able to speak due to her intubation tube. The pad was used for a couple of weeks to communicate. Her niece, Vanessa Marin, kept the book. September 10, 2017.
The Good Samaritan
- Mamta Popat / Arizona Daily Star
- Updated
As the casting dries, flecks fall to the floor on Norma's existing limbs during an appointment at Hanger Clinic on September 01, 2017. The cast will be used to create the sockets for her shortened prostheses, called stubbies. The stubbies will help Norma with her new center of gravity before receiving prosthetics that will bring her back to her original height.
The Good Samaritan
- Mamta Popat / Arizona Daily Star
- Updated
Norma holds one of her sockets up as she lays down during an appointment at Hanger Clinic on September 13, 2017. For the first time, Norma starts to see the possibility of walking again.
The Good Samaritan
- Mamta Popat / Arizona Daily Star
- Updated
Norma Santos Trujillo feels discomfort as Sarah Don, an orthotist/prosthetist, right, fits her with a socket during an appointment at Hanger Clinic on September 13. Michael Trujillo helps her stand for the fitting.
The Good Samaritan
- Mamta Popat / Arizona Daily Star
- Updated
Norma Santos Trujillo leans on her husband, Michael, for support as she's fitted for sockets for the first time during an appointment at Hanger Clinic on September 13.
The Good Samaritan
- Mamta Popat / Arizona Daily Star
- Updated
Instead of coaching, Norma sits on the sidelines and offers advice to the USA Youth Sports soccer team she coached for two years. Her daughter is on the team and soon her twin boys will join. Norma harbors anger towards the University of Arizona student whose car struck her. The way she sees it, he could go back to his life but her life is forever changed.
(September 13, 2017)
The Good Samaritan
- Mamta Popat / Arizona Daily Star
- Updated
Instead of coaching, Norma now sits on the sidelines but still offers advice to the USA Youth Sports soccer team she coached for two years. Her daughter is a member of the team.
The Good Samaritan
- Mamta Popat / Arizona Daily Star
- Updated
“Wow, I forgot what it feels like to stand,” Norma Santos Trujillo said quietly, then took her first steps in her shortened prostheses called stubbies, and was overcome with emotion at Hanger Clinic on September 20, 2017. On April 19, Norma stopped to help a couple push their stalled SUV out of a busy Tucson, Ariz., intersection. A college student driving home from an honors ceremony slammed into the SUV, trapping Norma between the two vehicles. The 32-year-old mother of three suffered massive injuries. A doctor at the hospital had told her she'd never walk again.
The Good Samaritan
- Mamta Popat / Arizona Daily Star
- Updated
Sergio Castro becomes emotional as he talks about the night of April 19, when he struck Norma with his car, causing her to lose both of her legs. "Why did it happen at all?" the UA honors students asks himself.
The Good Samaritan
- Mamta Popat / Arizona Daily Star
- Updated
Sarah Don, a certified orthotist/prosthetist, laughs as Norma Santos Trujillo keeps the appointment light by cracking jokes on September 22 at Hanger Clinic.
The Good Samaritan
- Mamta Popat / Arizona Daily Star
- Updated
AJ Jolivett, center, a community care coordinator, inspects what Norma Santos Trujillo calls her "nubs," for skin issues as Michael looks on during an appointment at Hanger Clinic on September 29.
The Good Samaritan
- Mamta Popat / Arizona Daily Star
- Updated
"I always knew she was strong, says Michael Trujillo, but this has really shown her strength." Michael holds Norma after she walks towards him in her stubbies at Hanger Clinic on September 29, 2017. Norma and Michael have said the trauma strengthened their relationship. Although the couple was briefly separated before the crash, they have fallen in love all over again.
The Good Samaritan
- Mamta Popat / Arizona Daily Star
- Updated
In September, Norma left a store with her husband and fell forward onto pavement strapped into her wheelchair, breaking her nose and suffering a black eye.
The Good Samaritan
- Mamta Popat / Arizona Daily Star
- Updated
Norma walks on her shortened prostheses at HealthSouth Rehabilitation on November 15, 2017. "She helped me, and she's the one who got ruined," says Felix Moreira, the stranger she stopped to assist.
The Good Samaritan
- Mamta Popat / Arizona Daily Star
- Updated
As family members eat, talk and watch football on Thanksgiving, Nayelly Santos hugs her sister, Norma, whom Nayelly mentioned in her prayer before the meal on November 23, 2017. The extended family has rallied around Norma, Michael and their children. They have come together to help raise money by hosting car washes and lending a hand with household chores.
The Good Samaritan
- Mamta Popat / Arizona Daily Star
Felix and Maria Moreira were traveling on Irvington Road just west of Campbell Avenue when their Ford Explorer stalled. Norma Santos Trujillo, in a car behind them, got out to help Felix push the SUV into a bus pullout as Maria steered.
The Good Samaritan
- Mamta Popat / Arizona Daily Star
Felix Moreira shows where Norma Santos Trujillo and another man were standing, to push his stalled SUV, when a car driven by Sergio Castro hit Norma. Felix says he feels as if he should have been hit that night and not Norma.
The Good Samaritan
- Mamta Popat / Arizona Daily Star
Norma Santos Trujillo is wheeled into the house by her husband, Michael, as she returns home to stay on July 06. Some of Michael's co-workers donated their sick leave to him so Michael wouldn't have to worry about missing work.
The Good Samaritan
- Mamta Popat / Arizona Daily Star
Norma bears a scar on the back of her neck where plates, titanium rods and screws were put in place to reattach the spinal column to her skull. Norma lost 70% of rotation in her neck. Due to this injury any fall in the wrong way could cause paralysis or death.
(July 06, 2017)
The Good Samaritan
- Mamta Popat / Arizona Daily Star
Norma Santos Trujillo is the safe zone for her son, Dean, 3, as he's chased by his sister Josslyn on July 13. Norma says one of her big motivations since the accident is to be able to keep up with her kids. She says she misses being able to roll around on the floor with them to play wrestle.
The Good Samaritan
- Mamta Popat / Arizona Daily Star
Wendy Miller, a physical medicine and rehabilitation doctor, examines the burns on Norma's arm as her husband, Michael Trujillo, watches during a home visit on July 26, 2017. Norma was pinned underneath the car that hit her on April 19. The muffler was burning her skin until several men at the scene lifted and moved the car off her.
The Good Samaritan
- Mamta Popat / Arizona Daily Star
Norma and her daughter, Josslyn Trujillo, 10, joke around as they hang out in Norma's bedroom on July 26, 2017. Norma lost her right leg at scene of the wreck, her left one was amputated at the hospital.
The Good Samaritan
- Mamta Popat / Arizona Daily Star
“I’m taking it day by day. There’s no point looking back. It’s the end of a chapter,” says Norma. “The key is to find that one thing that gets you out of bed. For me it’s my children, my husband, my family.” Norma helps her son, Kaleb Trujillo, 3, with his helmet before heading outside to ride his bike in the neighborhood on July 26, 2017. After the car crash life seemed to just stop. Norma's twin boys refused to ride their bikes until Mom came home.
The Good Samaritan
- Mamta Popat / Arizona Daily Star
Norma Santos Trujillo rolls herself back home with her son, Dean at her side, after a short walk in the neighborhood on July 26. Because of her burns, it is uncomfortable for Norma to be outside in the Tucson heat and humidity.
The Good Samaritan
- Mamta Popat / Arizona Daily Star
Michael Trujillo shares a moment with his wife, Norma, as AJ Jolivett, left, community care coordinator, and Sarah Don, a prosthetist, look at what Norma calls her "nubs" of her severed legs at Hanger Clinic.
The Good Samaritan
- Mamta Popat / Arizona Daily Star
As each day passes Norma grows stronger and more determined to be independent. Here she shows her mother, Marie del Carmen Santos, how she's able to move around while wearing new gel liners on September 13, 2017.
The Good Samaritan
- Mamta Popat / Arizona Daily Star
"They told me to cry but go back and be strong. My friend was my angel." Written by Norma Santos Trujillo in a sketchpad after she was out of the intensive care unit at Banner University Medical Center Tucson and wasn't able to speak due to her intubation tube. The pad was used for a couple of weeks to communicate. Her niece, Vanessa Marin, kept the book.
The Good Samaritan
- Mamta Popat / Arizona Daily Star
"Yes I remember everytime I sleep it comes back to me Vanessa, you break my heart b/c I saw how much pain you girls were in. Body against 2 cars!" Written by Norma Santos Trujillo in a sketchpad after she was out of the intensive care unit at Banner University Medical Center Tucson and wasn't able to speak due to her intubation tube. The pad was used for a couple of weeks to communicate. Her niece, Vanessa Marin, kept the book. September 10, 2017.
The Good Samaritan
- Mamta Popat / Arizona Daily Star
"Wish I never got out of the car." Written by Norma Santos Trujillo in a sketchpad after she was out of the intensive care unit at Banner University Medical Center Tucson and wasn't able to speak due to her intubation tube. The pad was used for a couple of weeks to communicate. Her niece, Vanessa Marin, kept the book. September 10, 2017.
The Good Samaritan
- Mamta Popat / Arizona Daily Star
As the casting dries, flecks fall to the floor on Norma's existing limbs during an appointment at Hanger Clinic on September 01, 2017. The cast will be used to create the sockets for her shortened prostheses, called stubbies. The stubbies will help Norma with her new center of gravity before receiving prosthetics that will bring her back to her original height.
The Good Samaritan
- Mamta Popat / Arizona Daily Star
Norma Santos Trujillo feels discomfort as Sarah Don, an orthotist/prosthetist, right, fits her with a socket during an appointment at Hanger Clinic on September 13. Michael Trujillo helps her stand for the fitting.
The Good Samaritan
- Mamta Popat / Arizona Daily Star
Instead of coaching, Norma sits on the sidelines and offers advice to the USA Youth Sports soccer team she coached for two years. Her daughter is on the team and soon her twin boys will join. Norma harbors anger towards the University of Arizona student whose car struck her. The way she sees it, he could go back to his life but her life is forever changed.
(September 13, 2017)
The Good Samaritan
- Mamta Popat / Arizona Daily Star
“Wow, I forgot what it feels like to stand,” Norma Santos Trujillo said quietly, then took her first steps in her shortened prostheses called stubbies, and was overcome with emotion at Hanger Clinic on September 20, 2017. On April 19, Norma stopped to help a couple push their stalled SUV out of a busy Tucson, Ariz., intersection. A college student driving home from an honors ceremony slammed into the SUV, trapping Norma between the two vehicles. The 32-year-old mother of three suffered massive injuries. A doctor at the hospital had told her she'd never walk again.
The Good Samaritan
- Mamta Popat / Arizona Daily Star
Sergio Castro becomes emotional as he talks about the night of April 19, when he struck Norma with his car, causing her to lose both of her legs. "Why did it happen at all?" the UA honors students asks himself.
The Good Samaritan
- Mamta Popat / Arizona Daily Star
"I always knew she was strong, says Michael Trujillo, but this has really shown her strength." Michael holds Norma after she walks towards him in her stubbies at Hanger Clinic on September 29, 2017. Norma and Michael have said the trauma strengthened their relationship. Although the couple was briefly separated before the crash, they have fallen in love all over again.
The Good Samaritan
- Mamta Popat / Arizona Daily Star
Norma walks on her shortened prostheses at HealthSouth Rehabilitation on November 15, 2017. "She helped me, and she's the one who got ruined," says Felix Moreira, the stranger she stopped to assist.
The Good Samaritan
- Mamta Popat / Arizona Daily Star
As family members eat, talk and watch football on Thanksgiving, Nayelly Santos hugs her sister, Norma, whom Nayelly mentioned in her prayer before the meal on November 23, 2017. The extended family has rallied around Norma, Michael and their children. They have come together to help raise money by hosting car washes and lending a hand with household chores.
Tags
As featured on
During the early evening of April 19, a 32-year-old Tucson mother of three stopped to help t…
View this profile on Instagram#ThisIsTucson 🌵 (@this_is_tucson) • Instagram photos and videos
Most viewed stories
-
A list of places that will be open on Christmas Day 2025
-
Ring in 2026 at these fun local New Year's Eve events 🥳
-
New eats! 10 new restaurants that opened in Tucson this fall
-
Over 20 fun events to do in Tucson December 26-28 💖
-
Looking ahead to Tucson's new and cool for '26
-
Over 40 free events happening in Tucson this December! ⛄
-
Tania's 33 and 12 other places to find bomb menudo in Tucson