Two Illinois Army National Guardsmen driving through Chicago late Wednesday night pulled a man from a burning vehicle on the side of the road late Wednesday night and are being credited with saving his life.
Jeremy Atkins and Tony Genovese said they were waiting at a nearby light as the accident that sparked the blaze unfolded, and they immediately jumped into action.
“My buddy and I are both military guys, so we’ve had a little bit of training,” said Genovese, a recruiter for the Illinois Army National Guard.
Police say the driver of a Buick LaCrosse had hit a guardrail and lost control trying to pass a Jeep Cherokee on Columbus Drive near Roosevelt Road around 10:30 p.m. The Buick hit the Jeep, struck a concrete planter and flipped several times, authorities said.
“The driver of the [Buick] was shouting, hitting the wheel. We recognized the vehicle was on fire,” said Atkins.
Atkins said the doors of the vehicle were locked, and the driver was not responding to them as they tried to rescue him.
“Tony grabbed the window, pulled it down, unlocked the door and secured the driver, pulled him out,” Atkins said.
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The driver was taken to Northwestern Memorial Hospital, where he was treated and released, police said.
A passenger in the Buick and two people in the Jeep were transported to area hospitals and were also treated and released.
Police said the driver of the Buick was cited for failure to stay in his lane, failure to reduce speed and driving without insurance.
