Night Shift
UKC Forum Member
Registered: Jan 2012
Location: Indiana
Posts: 879 |
Coonhunter/Hero
WABASH COUNTY, Ind. (21ALIVE) --- A fatal crash this week-end in Wabash County might have had an even more tragic ending, if not for a passing motorist who stopped to help.
It involved a ‘Good Samaritan’ who threw caution to the wind.
Donald Collins was coming home from a hunting competition very early Sunday morning, when he saw a glow that didn't look right.
He checked it out, and within seconds was in a race to get people out of a burning car.
"It was tunnel vision, getting there, making sure everybody was safe in that accident," said Collins, who encountered a Buick that had flipped on its top and ignited along U.S. 24.
A 26-year old Logansport man died from the crash, but there were three other survivors, at least in part because of the actions of Collins, who hurt his knee hustling down an embankment to get to the car on fire.
He claims a front seat passenger thrown from the vehicle yelled out to him, letting him know there were three people still inside the car that was at risk of being taken over by flames.
"I pulled them up the embankment, sat there with them on the embankment and watched them, tried to keep them calm until the first officer got there. I would rather have both my legs broke, instead of watching them burn to death," he said.
The car was headed westbound on US 24 when the driver lost control, the car careened through the grassy median, then crossed the eastbound lanes before crashing on its top in a ditch.
Indiana State Police say alcohol was likely a factor, as well as excessive speed and distracted driving.
The response from Collins and the passenger thrown clear, made the best of a bad situation.
"It probably saved some lives, because the way I understand it from investigators, the inside of the vehicle did burn and it was totally burned out, so their actions are to be commended in this particular event," said ISP Sgt. Tony Slocum.
Collins says it feels like divine intervention laid out his steps.
"If it wasn't for me leaving my wallet in a buddy-- Jason Gillespie's truck-- to have to turn around and get it, I would have never come across that crash. I thank the Good Lord for just putting everything into place," he said.
Collins went on to say, “They might call me a hero, to the victims I might be one, but I'm just being the best man I can be."
He says he would like to be re-united with those he helped, hoping that could clear the awful images from his head, and allow him to sleep better.
At last report, the driver of the car, 25-year old Dakota Jackson from Kokomo, was in critical condition, so with good fortune maybe he can make a full recovery.
The other two survivors did not suffer serious injuries.
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09-27-2016 08:00 PM
