Two school seniors are heroes after rescuing a baby from a burning car involved in a deadly crash early Friday Morning on Ridge Road in unincorporated Minooka.
As the two made their way home to Channahon, they came across a multi-car crash, saw smoke and heard screaming--and found a crying baby strapped in the back seat of 27-year-old Alexis Danley's car. Danley, of Shorewood, was six-months pregnant with another baby and was pronounced dead at the scene.
Hunter Hasenjaeger says he was in shock when he and his friend Collin Barry approached the scene.
"I never expected to see the mom how she was, you know?" he said. "It made me feel good that we saved the baby, because, who knows what could have happened?"
Barry explained to NBC 5 how he had to squeeze in to the car through a broken window to reach the 1-year-old child.
"The mom's hand was on the baby sit," said Barry. "So I kind of had to move her hand and pull the baby closer and unstrap it."
The Kenalld County Sheriff's Office cited 23-year-old Jacob Kaminski of Marseilles for drunk driving, disobeying a no passing zone and drug possession.
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Barry said he was "angry" about the crash and called the Kaminski's alleged actions "selfish."
Both Barry and Hasenjaeger say they hope the tragic story will serve as a reminder for drivers to be more cautious.