Motorist who rescued man from burning car to be honored

Won Carnegie Medal for outstanding heroism

ESSEX — Stephen Anthony Eberle of Ivoryton is being distinguished with a Carnegie Medal for, along with another man, saving a 38yearold victim from a burning vehicle July 16, 2017, after a nighttime accident in Middletown.

Eberle and a 65yearold teacher’s aide, both passing by the scene, arrived at the car, which had caught fire on the highway with the unconscious driver inside, according to a press release. Using a tire iron, Eberle broke out the rear driver’sside window, opened the rear door, and entered the backseat, where he attempted to release the driver’s seat belt.

He was unsuccessful, so he moved to the driver’s door and broke that window. The teacher’s aide then forced the door open, and held it open as Eberle twice attempted to enter the car there and release Smith’s seat belt, the release said.

Each attempt was thwarted by heat and fire. The teacher’s aide then used a pocketknife to cut the seat belt, and together they grasped the driver and tugging hard, removed him from the vehicle and dragged him away. The car was shortly engulfed in flames. The driver was treated for minor crash injuries, but was not burned, according to the release.

Eberle will be presented his medal at a ceremony Oct. 25 at 10 a.m. at Essex Town Hall, 29 W. Ave. U.S. Rep. Joe Courtney, DConnecticut, will present the award.

Eberle was the Pittsburghbased Carnegie Hero Fund’s 10,094th hero. The Hero Fund, established by Andrew Carnegie in 1904, has awarded the Carnegie Medal to 10,117 individuals in recognition of their outstanding heroism, defined by the commission as acts of lifesaving done at extraordinary risk to the rescuer, according to the release.

Grants totaling more than $41 million have been given to the awardees or their survivors, and include scholarship aid, continuing assistance and death benefits.

For information, visit carnegiehero.org.

Contributed photo Stephen Anthony Eberle, of Ivoryton.