Ohio man attempts to revive 12-year-old girl during 86-vehicle pileup on Interstate 275

CINCINNATI - Aaron Foster, of Kenwood, Ohio, near Cincinnati, was on his way to his parents’ house along westbound I-275 when the 86-vehicle pileup began.

"I didn't know what the noise was. I was like, 'What is that sound?'" Foster said. "It just kept coming and coming, it kept piling up, it was horrible."

Around 11:30 a.m. Monday, drivers along I-275 were blindsided by a burst of snow showers that caused a whiteout on the roads. As a result, 86 vehicles were tangled in a pileup and dozens were injured.

Foster, 31, missed the collision by a matter of seconds, after he pulled his vehicle off to the side of the road to see what was happening.

"I looked over and saw what I thought was the piece of a car flying through the median. It was a little girl," he said.

Foster said he tried to save the girl's life.

"I didn't really think about it as being a brave thing. I just wanted to make sure everyone was OK," Foster said.

Authorities said Sammy Reagan, 12, of Kings Mills, was struck by a cable median barrier after she got out of the damaged car.

"At first I covered her with my coat because she was laying face down," Foster said. "I didn't want to move her in case she had something wrong with her neck so I turned her over and started CPR."

Foster was certified in CPR 10 years ago. Even though he is not a medical professional, he said his training still kicked in.

"My mind kind of goes to a place where I don't panic when it comes to stuff like that," he said.

Paramedics arrived to the scene to attend to Reagan just moments later, however, her injuries were too severe.

"I mean it's a little girl and she died. It's horrible," Foster said.

Reagan was taken to Mercy Fairfield Hospital where she was pronounced dead.