Without even pausing to think about the situation or assess possible alternatives, four Glendale firefighters saved a young boy's life by lifting a 3,000-pound vehicle off of him, relying on their instincts.
"Time was ticking away," Firefighter Sean Alford said, "so we decided to lift the vehicle off the child."
Instead of waiting for the department's specialized equipment designed for such situations, the rescuers just dove right in.
If they had not, the situation may not have ended with the 8-year-old emerging from the ordeal alive.
"If we had waited any longer for the ladder (truck) to come to use the extrication equipment," Firefighter Chris James said, "it would have been a different story."
Just after 7 a.m. Tuesday, a small group of children was walking along the 6300 block of West Alice Avenue on their way to the bus stop. The children apparently crossed against traffic to reach the bus stop on the other side of the road.
The 8-year-old boy in question was struck by a Ford Tempo as he stepped into traffic.
The car came to a rest on top of the boy; when rescuers arrived on the scene, they said he was "pancaked" under the middle of the car, bent over at the waist with his head between his knees.
Not only was the child pinned, Capt./Paramedic Tom Lazzaro said, but he was unconscious and not breathing.
"He didn't look like he was alive," Lazzaro said.
Before the firefighter arrived, Glendale Police Officer Jeff Maddux attempted to pull the boy from under the car, but was not able to do it alone.
Engine 151 and Battal-lion 151 arrived on the scene and assessed the situation - vehicle extrications were nothing new, but the situation before them was something they had never seen.
So, Lazzaro, Alford, James and Firefighter Miles Nuessle solved the problem the easiest way they could think of - they simply lifted the sedan off the boy.
"I don't think we thought about it," James said. "We just lined up and did it."
While the four lifted the car, Batallion Chief Jim Gibson and Capt. Armando Hernandez pulled the child out and began "aggressive lifesaving" techniques, Lazzaro said.
The rescuers were able to restart the child's breathing and he slowly regained consciousness.
The boy was transported to St. Joseph's Hospital where he was listed in critical condition, but he is expected to survive. Lazzaro said he suffered a neck injury and some burns from the underside of the car.
Officers investigating this incident do not believe that speed, alcohol or drugs are factors in this case. It appears the boy ran directly in the path of the Ford Tempo.
Charges are not expected to be filed against the 36-year-old Glendale woman driving the car, police spokesperson Matt Brown said.
She was driving below the speed limit, he said, because she knew there were a lot of children in the area.
"The woman had no chance to stop in time," Brown said. "She was just as shook up as anybody there."
The firefighters involved in the rescue hope to visit with the boy soon and tell him how lucky he is to be alive.
They said it was an experience they will never forget.
"It was incredible to be there, to know that we made a difference in this child's life," Alford said.
