3 Boys Act Fast, Save Woman Trapped In Burning Car

KNOXVILLE, IA — Three boys sprung into action Aug. 1, saving the life of a woman trapped in an SUV after she rear-ended a tractor, reports say. A.J. McDonald, 16, was driving his friends Terrence Alder, 16, and Justin Zavodsky, 17, from the Wal-Mart on Highway 5/92 west of Knoxville when they saw debris on the road.

On the road by the Exit 64 ramp, "we saw that the car was up against the side wall of the bridge and there was a trail of parts and oil that showed where the initial crash must have happened," Zavodsky told Patch. He, his friends, a dump truck driver and another approached the Ford Explorer. But then, "flames started coming out of the hood," Zavodsky said.

They knew they had to help. They heard the trapped woman inside, Amber Shinn of Des Moines, screaming that she couldn't breathe and that her leg was in pain. They tried to open the doors, but couldn't.

A dump truck driver doused the fire with an extinguisher while McDonald ran back to his car to grab a hammer and break a window. Lots of smoke came out, Zavodsky said, and McDonald hit the unlock button.

Here's a short video of the wreckage, provided by Justin Zavodsky:

See KNIA/KRLS for more photos of the area.

A nurse stuck in the traffic arrived at the scene and gave aid until emergency services arrived. "She got in the car to do her thing. Not long after that emergency services got there so we all stepped back to stay out of the way," Zavodsky said. The tractor driver was there, too, with only cuts and bruises.

Being an Eagle Scout, Zavodsky had been trained to address situations and offer assistance. "I think it was just the right thing to do. I'm sure many people would do the same thing if they were in that situation," Zavodsky said. He and his friends saw somebody drive by and do nothing.

Zavodsky noted that people's expectations of an Eagle Scout took a role in his fast action in helping Shinn. "You're not only used to being a helpful person but people have high expectations from you," he told Patch.

Shinn was taken by helicopter to Des Moines and the tractor driver, Larry Bybee of Pleasantville, was taken to another hospital by Knoxville Fire & Rescue. Both were treated and released, reports say.

In stressful and time-sensitive situations like this, proper training leads to calmly doing what is needed. "You kind of just go," Zavodsky said, according to the Journal Express. “We do first aid and stuff in scouts, so we had an idea of what to do already."

See the Journal Express for more details.

Article image via Shutterstock