Aug. 03--An employee at a Riverside bank on Friday jumped into a car that was moving on a sidewalk without a driver and was able to maneuver the vehicle back into the street and stop it, police said.
Riverside police Chief Thomas Weitzel said the actions of Nicholas Cassano may have averted a tragedy because of the number of people who were in the village's central business district when the incident occurred.
According to a news release from the Riverside Police Department, an 80-year-old North Riverside woman said she had left her car, a 2007 Ford, running while she went into a grocery store at 48 E. Burlington St. to "grab a few things" about 3:30 p.m. Friday.
The car was in a parking spot next to a sidewalk along Burlington, and a police investigation determined the woman did not put the car fully into park, according to the news release. The vehicle "lurched into drive," police said, and began moving west on the sidewalk.
Police said Cassano, 36, an employee of PNC Bank, which is just west of the grocery story, saw the unoccupied vehicle moving on the sidewalk in front of his business.
Cassano told police he jumped into the car, maneuvered it back to the street and stopped the vehicle. He then turned the ignition off and gave the keys to the first officer who responded to the police call.
Police located the car's driver inside the grocery store. She was cited for unoccupied vehicle parked illegally and expired registration, according to the news release.
"If it was not for what can only be described as heroic and quick-acting maneuver by PNC Bank employee Nicholas Cassano we may have had a tragedy," Weitzel said. "I believe Mr. Cassano's quick actions definitely saved lives as the vehicle would not have stopped until it struck a pedestrian or a building."
