Aug. 05--Cook County sheriff's police Officer William Hoefler shrugged off praise for rescuing a Manteno teen from a burning car early Wednesday along Interstate 80 in the south suburbs.
"We were just in the right place at the right time," Hoefler said of his and probationary officer Viktor Yatsik's response.
Hoefler, a police officer for nine of his 11 years with the sheriff's office, and Yatsik, a recent graduate from the police academy, spotted the white Chevrolet Cruze near Hazel Crest shortly before 2 a.m. The car had gone off the roadway. Fire was visible, according to Hoefler.
According to WGN-TV, the driver, Joseph Richmond, said he had swerved to avoid hitting a coyote on the roadway and crashed through a guardrail.
After spotting the car, the two police officers found the 18-year-old alone and conscious inside the vehicle, which was gradually filling with smoke.
"He was real frantic and having a hard time trying to open the doors," Hoefler said.
Front and side air bags that had deployed further complicated the situation, Hoefler said.
"He had to move them out of the way so he could communicate with us. He felt very trapped," Hoefler said.
Richmond told WGN, "They knocked on my window and (said), 'Are you OK? Are you OK?'"
Richmond said he responded that he couldn't get the door open. "And the car started smoking and started getting a little fire," he said.
Hoefler said that after determining the car doors "would not open," the officers used a collapsible baton to break out the driver's side rear window and then helped the teen over the front seat and out through the opening.
Richmond told WGN that soon after he was pulled out, the car "burst into flames."
He was transported to Advocate South Suburban Hospital in Hazel Crest.
"We're just happy he's good to go," said Hoefler, after learning Richmond was treated and released.
Acknowledging the incident was an unexpected hands-on opportunity, Hoefler said Yatsik "did a real fine job."
Hoefler said street police frequently encounter unexpected opportunities -- particularly helping people out of locked cars, although "maybe not with fire involved."
Sheriff's office spokeswoman Sophia Ansari agreed, saying that if a street police officer observes something unusual, "they're going to want to check it out."
She noted that a couple of months ago, a sheriff's police officer saw a suicidal person on a bridge and pulled him away.
The incident on I-80 was being investigated by the Illinois State Police. The agency did not immediately respond to calls for more information.
WGN-TV contributed.
