FDNY's Ladder9 off-duty FF rescues driver

[Guest]

I believe FF Casey's actions yesterday deserve to be recognized in our Forum. While any one of us 1st responders would probably have reacted in a similar manner, maybe some would have hesitated. He did not and, with the help of another driver, saved this man's life.

September 14, 2006

Quick Rescue in Fiery Crash on Expressway

By EMILY VASQUEZ and AL BAKER

THE NEW YORK TIMES

Firefighter Donald K. Casey knew something was wrong when a wave of dust and gravel suddenly sprayed his Chevy Impala as he drove on the Gowanus Expressway through Brooklyn about 9 a.m. yesterday.

A tractor trailer coming from the opposite direction had veered out of control, kicking up debris as it rammed into a guardrail.

“I pulled over right away and I saw the tractor trailer; it was right next to my vehicle,†said Mr. Casey, 45, who is assigned to Ladder Company 9 in the East Village but was off duty.

The white Mack truck, which was headed west, had smashed into a concrete support beam under the 72nd Street pedestrian overpass. Already, flames were rising from its cab and from the roadway around it where fuel had spilled during the crash.

The cab of the truck was mangled, and the driver, Franklin Montes, 58, was stuck inside, bleeding from his head and calling for help, said Mr. Casey, who moved through the heat and smoke to rescue him.

Relying on his training, Mr. Casey reached through the smashed windshield and grabbed Mr. Montes. Another driver who had stopped rushed over to help lift Mr. Montes out, with seconds to spare.

“We got him out and, like 30 seconds later, the whole inside where he previously was was on fire,†Mr. Casey said. “It was very hot.â€

Witnesses said the initial impact of the truck slamming into the concrete beam, followed by the bursting of the truck’s front tires, sounded like huge blasts.

“Everybody heard the explosion,†said Ferruh Kessaf, 47, who lives on Ovington Avenue near the overpass. “They kept coming, as many as six explosions. Everybody was running to the bridge.â€

Mr. Montes and Mr. Casey were taken to Lutheran Medical Center in Brooklyn. Mr. Casey, who suffered minor burns and cuts, was treated and released. Mr. Montes remained there in serious but stable condition last night, the police said.

They said they were investigating what made him lose control of the vehicle.

The fire in the truck smoldered for more than an hour, fire officials said. Traffic on the expressway was delayed through the morning as emergency officials worked to extinguish it and clear debris.

According to the Department of Transportation, the eastbound lanes were reopened about 11:30 a.m. The last westbound lane reopened about 4:20 p.m.

Mr. Casey, who narrowly escaped from the World Trade Center’s north tower on Sept. 11, 2001, said that after Mr. Montes was rescued he was talking about his grown daughters.

Mr. Casey said he only learned the driver’s first name, but that he planned to follow up. “I will go back and check on him,†he said.

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credit: WABC TV NY

Edited September 14, 2006 by hoss

[Sean11FD 3]

Its interesting. How many trucks crash v. how many catch on fire. Where I live, it is fairly common, if not a daily thing to hear a tractor trailer rollover on the entrance ramp of I84. Very few of them are on fire. What happened there is like something out of movie. Or at least I think so.