Newspaper delivery driver pulls 3-year-old boy from burning car
ALOHA, Ore. – A newspaper delivery driver saved a child who was trapped inside a burning car following a Tuesday morning crash in Aloha.
The crash occurred just before 6 a.m. on Farmington Road between Southwest 209th Avenue and Clark Hill Road when Lezel Ames’ car hit a tree. Ames managed to escape the car, but moments later the vehicle caught fire, according to Tualatin Valley Fire & Rescue officials.
Isidro Franco-Garcia was out delivering newspapers when he came across the crash, sheriff’s deputies said. He found Ames out of the car and yelling that her three-year-old son was in a car seat inside the burning vehicle.
Franco-Garcia jumped into action and pulled the boy out of the burning car. He then let the mother and son sit in his car until deputies arrived.
“We are very grateful that everyone is safe,” the Ames family said in a statement. “We want to thank the Oregonian paper delivery driver who helped our son out of the car.”
Wednesday was Franco-Garcia’s first day of work delivering newspapers.
“The Washington County Sheriff’s Office commends Mr. Franco-Garcia for his swift action and selflessness in saving the life of another,” Sgt. Bob Ray wrote in a statement. “If not for his heroic actions the result of this crash could have been very tragic.”
By the time deputies showed up the car was fully engulfed in flames.
Firefighters checked the mother and son out for injuries. They were OK, but taken to Oregon Health & Science University as a precaution, officials said.
Firefighters, who extinguished the car blaze, said they suspected the fire spread so quickly because the vehicle sustained significant engine compartment damage.
The circumstances of what led to the crash weren't immediately clear.
I love these hero stories, helps to restore my faith in the human race.
To all the crime solvers regarding this article, "The circumstances of what led to the crash weren't immediately clear." Read before you contrive or guess.
Kudos to the driver of the Oregonian delivery vehicle for saving the lives of the driver and the child. I know that area from being a school bus driver for Hillsboro School Distict. Dangerous curves and very narrow roadway.
It took a lot of courage to approach a burning car. What a brave person!!
The crash happened yesterday when he was delivering papers, but his first day of work wasn't until today? Was yesterday just a practice run?
A simple rule from racing school:Â If it's bigger than you, swerve, if it's smaller than you, run it over instead of crashing.Â
@lakeview
A squirrel looses to a Formula Ford, but deer are an exception. They are smaller, but can come inside and say "Hi".
There is a lot more to this story. That is an awful lot of damage to that car. Speeding, texting, cell phone use, other distractions?
@I812Â
The POINTÂ of the story is that the driver saved the kid.
@tcm @I812 Really? Gee, thanks for sharing.
@I812Â
Heck of a bounce too.
Unicycles save trees.
@S_O_P_A But where does the car seat and groceries go?
@axpman If you have kids, relinquish them to the State (it'll own them soon enough, anyway) and ALWAYS eat in vegan restaurants.
She needs to be prosecuted for vehicular treeaside. I'm going to hug a tree at lunch today, let's all say prayers
@danoseknows What? no last words for the car?
@axpman @danoseknows ....Oh great diety, whatever you are or might be,....we sit in front of our various computers smart phones and stuff to pray for the onboard computer of this thoroughly bashed up mess.Taketh this wreck unto thine hard drive , and help it as it processes no more. Amen
@axpman ...."But"........the edit feature blows chunks!
@axpman I put the "Amen" in so it would be an official prayer, hut turning your head and coughing works equally well.
Oh...lookie another mysterous car crash involving a driver that took their car off the road and hit something random.....kinda hard to convict the tree on this one.    Why is it after so many cars run into so many different things both on-and-off the road that there are a select group of people who remain confident in their attempt to blame pedestrians or cyclists anytime a driver runs into those people.  Â
Here's a clue people; when a pedesterian or cyclist is struck by the front grille of a vehicle or squashed under the tires in a cros
So glad nobody was hurt this time; and to the boy....don't drive with mommy if she is distracted by texting or talking on the phone.
@Agness P Weatherby Do you think maybe you can finish your sentence of "Here's a clue people; when a pedesterian or cyclist is struck by the front grille of a vehicle or squashed under the tires in a cros"Â
I agree that there are pedestrians that get hit in crosswalks, and that sucks, but there are many that decide at the last minute to dart in front of traffic with no regard to their own safety.  As for cyclists I think maybe 20% follow the laws that they are supposed to obey (stopping, yielding, signaling, having proper lighting, etc) so not sure what your point is.Â
@BarbWire @Agness P Weatherby There are plenty of "dart into traffic" idiots out there. Had one yesterday who literally RAN up to the crosswalk button, slammed his hand on it, and started to run immediately across the street in front of me - where the DON'T WALK sign was clearly showing, because traffic in both directions had green lights! I slammed on the brakes, and he was just grinning merrily... that one NEEDS a darwin!
Where's the story for the accident that occurred on 217 on Sunday where the lady was bleeding from the head? Some dude switched lanes quickly causing this accident...
@portlandborn83Â Â That story's probably on the same news site that reports when kids fall down rollerskating. Â Not every bump and scrape warrants a news story, but I guess that's just a matter of opinion.
Driving on the roads seems to be safer then hitting trees in fields, I dunno though to each his/her own.
a nother crash? what caused it? this is getting rediculous
A tree caused it. see where the bark was knocked off. Â ^_^
Air bags appearantly work.
Yikes, what a scary story! Glad to hear they're alright.
 Probably hydroplaned in the rain. Crazy weather. Happy spring!
BTW, this is the Terminal Area Forecast for PDX.  Light rain, mist, AND wind gusts to 28 knots from the south which means it's going to be big wet weather.
201355Z 2014/2112 18019G27KT 6SM -RA BKN025 OVC040 FM201500 21020G28KT 6SM -RA BR BKN018 OVC030Â
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@Sundowner @Lindsey Kardashium There were seagulls floating in puddles on the runway a couple of hours ago, ignoring the hazing cannon.
Whoever wrote the TAF ought to be the news weather guy.
@Lindsey Kardashium Say "hola" for us!
Oh, c'mon -- what's wrong with you people this morning? Â OK fine, I'll do it:
They should ban trees.Â
@Sundowner don't forget to check whether the delivery guy has an ICE hold
@diddy_bop ....or belongs to a union or is a teacher or.....eh -- you know how it goes!
@Sundowner Thank you.
@Sundowner At least assault trees with high capacity leaves !
And two or more of the following attachments: limbs, branches, swings, tree houses, trunks, roots, and grenade launchers.
Honestly, I don't think it was the drivers fault at all. It was probably the car....It realized it was a Saturn and decided to end it's own life, innocents be damned.
@UselessOpinion
I wouldn't be terribly surprised if it was because of some mechanical breakdown. As a graduation present, I got a brand new Saturn. Had more problems with it than I have any of my other vehicles, and they've all been 10+ years old. Brakes would just suddenly fail for no reason, yet testing would show they were fine. Lots of problems with the car dying for no reason. They even brought in techs from the plant to take the car apart and check everything. Never did figure out most of the problems, including the brakes.
Was she showing her son the sport of "Cow Tipping"?
@Billy Batts Nah, probably just a quick (albeit painful and expensive) physics lesson. Â
"Honest, officer! The tree just jumped out at me!"Â
Speed and rain were a factor, as well as inattention. Lucky lady and boy! Very, very lucky.Â
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@Lindsey Kardashium @washcomom oh sweetie there still time in the week for you to run into a tree, will be watching the news for the details.Â
@Lindsey Kardashium You are such a lucky TROLL yourself. Have a snarky day.
Remember:Â Trees ALWAYS have the right of way.
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@TheUglyTruth Had some upstair neighbors that got in to a head on crash with a Mercedes on I-5 (Mercedes going the wrong way. ) Their Saturn was totaled but both walked away from the crash!
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@TheUglyTruth @Lindsey Kardashium HA!
@TheUglyTruth Ever been in a car with a three year old?
Well THAT doesn't look like a car that a little buffing and some Bondo will fix. Â
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@Lindsey Kardashium No, I usually go for one or the other.  My preference is the "that's not gonna buff out"....the Bondo thought is new, only used that one once. Â
@Playanekes I thought it was moving day for you?  You better get busy, that U-Haul ain't gonna load itself!  =)
@Sundowner @Lindsey Kardashium "NONE shall pass!"