Rescuers Detail Efforts to Save Man from Flaming Car in New Lenox

A 19-year-old Manhattan man along with two other fire alarm inspectors sprung to action and pulled a man from a burning car July 22, west of Gougar Road on Laraway Road in unincorporated Will County.  

A 46-year-old Joliet man, whose name has not been released, was suffering a diabetic reaction when he lost control of his car about 11 a.m. July 22. The 2003 Ford Taurus went off the road and into a farm field where it rolled over, according to Will County Sheriff's Police.

The vehicle came to a stop about 20 to 25 feet from the road, said Jimmy Jackson, a parttime Manhattan firefighter and 2012 L-W Central grad.   

READ: Passersby Rescue a Man from a Burning Car in New Lenox 

Jackson, who also works for Allied Fire Alarm Systems of Downers Grove, together with two other inspectors were headed for lunch when they saw the burning vehicle along Gougar Road in unincorporated Will County. The inspectors—Jackson,  Glen Gillespie, 42, Alsip, and 32-year-old Dave Piloni, of Posen—agreed that the accident initially didn't appear that bad. 

"We really didn't see much of a flame. …We stopped to see if the guy was okay."  

Reflecting on yesterday's rescue, Piloni said in a telephone interview with Patch that it was a "surreal" experience. When the three walked toward the vehicle, another Good Samaritan was already on the scene.

Kathy Hoffmeyer, spokesperson for the sheriff's department, said the first passerby, a 39-year-old unnamed Joliet man, came upon the scene just as it was rolling into the field.

The driver is trapped

It wasn't until Jackson peered into the window of the car that had come to rest on its side that they realized the driver was stuck in the vehicle. Piloni said it was then he noticed that gasoline was pouring out of the car and the inside of the car was filling with smoke: already a flame one foot high had developed.

The car doors were jammed and there was no way to rescue the driver other than to roll the car upright. 

"The whole time," Piloni said, "I'm thinking the impact could create an explosion."

The flames were growing fast, said Piloni. "They got to be about 3 or 4 feet high," and the driver was still in the car. Gillespie said they got a passenger door open, and Piloni used a utility knife to slice open the driver's seat belt.

"We put our lives in jeopardy. It could have exploded in our face, but the adrenaline kicked in. I'm looking at it and time is of the essence," he said.

It was evident that the driver was either in shock or suffering from a medical condition, said Gillespie. "He never said anything."

EDITOR'S NOTE: The story originally reported the location of the car as west of Laraway Road. We have edited it to reflect the accurate location, west of Gougar Road. Thanks for your careful reading, Patch fans!

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