Heather Sica-Leonard: Hero Connecticut teacher saves wheelchair-bound man's life as she pulls him from burning car
BOLTON, CONNECTICUT: A middle school teacher is being praised for her heroic effort in helping a differently abled man from a burning van, just moments before it erupted into flames. The harrowing incident took place on Thursday, February 23, along Interstate-384 in Connecticut. The man, identified as John, who was using a wheelchair was driving his mobility-limited van.
He had to pull his car to the side of the road after smelling smoke and seeing flames. Thankfully, Heather Sica-Leonard was driving on the same road eastbound on her way home from work at that time. Her adrenaline immediately kicked in when she spotted the burning car, and the man hanging out the door.
READ MORE
How did Heather Sica-Leonard rescue John?
John told Leonard that he was disabled and needed his chair. The brave woman told that without any hesitation she "grabbed" the man's chair, and "helped him get into it...and then moved away from the vehicle," seconds before the fire engulfed his vehicle, as per NBC Connecticut.
What did the fire department say?
Manchester Fire and Rescue and EMS said Sica-Leonard "actions averted an almost certain fatal outcome and prevented anyone from being injured." The Manchester Fire and Rescue said that the specially-abled driver smelled smoke from his car and it wasn't until he moved the car's cup holder that he discovered a burst of flames coming from the car's dash.
Fire officials immediately put out the fire using water, foam, and dry chemical agents. They said the van's fuel tank ruptured, during the fire, leading to a continuous fuel spill that entered storm drains in the area. The Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP) responded to the scene to evaluate the scene and coordinate a cleanup.
Fire officials said Sica-Leonard moved the man to safety, "all at great personal risk to injury." "She immediately stopped, approached the burning vehicle and selflessly got John and his wheelchair out of the car and moved him to safety, all at great personal risk to injury," fire officials said, according to Daily Mail.
Who is Heather Sica-Leonard?
Heather Sica-Leonard, who works at Illing Middle School located on Middle Turnpike in East Manchester, just a few miles from the crash site told that she had no idea about the fire outbreak as it was the lower side of the dash. "I just reacting to what looked like a driver struggling and a vehicle smoking," she said.
