Hampton’s Justin and Mekesha Bowling were making their way home Saturday night when their trip came to a halt.

Mekesha was driving the couple home on Mary Patton Highway in Carter County at roughly 8 p.m. when they started noticing people in oncoming traffic flashing their lights.

“We were coming up Mary Patton Highway,” Bowling said. “We were on the straightaway and some cars flashed their lights at us. I just assumed there was a cop sitting up there somewhere.”

The couple, however, soon realized that it was not a cop that people were flashing their lights about but a single-vehicle accident.

“We came around the curve and a little boy (10 years old) came running out into the middle of the road frantically waving his arms,” said Bowling, who is a teacher and an assistant football coach at Happy Valley High School. “I knew something was going on. I had her stop, and I jumped out. The boy was crying and thanking us for stopping.”

Bowling looked around trying to figure out what was going on and then noticed a vehicle flipped over on its hood in a ditch.

“I go running over there to see if anyone was in the car,” said Bowling. “All I could see is a guy on his knees kneeled over. About that time when I get to the bottom of the hill, I see a little girl laying there.”

Bowling said he immediately ran over to the little girl, who according to a report by the Tennessee Highway Patrol is 6 years old. He checked her pulse and began talking to her.

“Her pulse was really really thready,” said Bowling. “I started talking to her asking her questions. I see her back and she has some severe lacerations on her back and a couple on her chest. She had been ejected from the car and had landed on a bed of rocks. She was beaten up pretty good.”

Bowling laid with the girl and talked with her until emergency personnel showed up.

“She never completely went unconscious,” said Bowling. “I kept her talking the entire time. I just kept asking her questions about where she went to school, who her teachers are, what she wanted for Christmas. I just wanted to keep her engaged.”

Bowling said that an off-duty nurse also showed up to the scene and stayed with the girl also.

While Bowling was tending to the little girl, Mekesha said she got the little boy, who had minor injuries, into her car.

“He was freezing cold,” she said. “My husband stayed with the little girl and just tried to keep her alert.”

Both the little boy and girl were transported to the Johnson City Medical Center. The little girl had serious bodily injuries. It was last reported that the little girl is still at the hospital recovering from her injuries while the boy was released.

The driver of the wrecked vehicle was 39-year-old Marc Andrew Trubiano of Roan Mountain. Both Carter County Sheriff’s deputies and THP officers responded to the scene. According to a report released by the THP, Trubiano was allegedly intoxicated, belligerent, and disorderly. Trubiano was arrested and is being charged by the THP with vehicular assault by intoxication, reckless endangerment, reckless driving, and implied consent. Trubiano is also being charged by Carter County Sheriff’s Department with simple assault and resisting arrest due to him allegedly kicking deputies at the scene.