MALVERN, Pa. (WPVI) — A routine shift for two Pennsylvania Turnpike employees turned into a life-or-death rescue when they pulled two women from a crashed car just moments before it exploded.
Turnpike workers Ralph Valenteen and Lucy Calancea were at the Devault Maintenance Shed in Malvern during a February snowstorm when they heard a loud bang at the entrance. Two women had crashed into a tree, and flames were quickly spreading.
“He grabbed her shoulders, I grabbed her waist, Lucy grabbed her legs, and we carried her away from the car, because the fuel tank didn’t let loose yet,” Calancea said.
Calancea had been loading salt while Valenteen worked inside the shed. Both rushed outside after hearing the impact. One of the victims cried out in pain as the heat intensified.
“She kept on crying, too, saying ‘The heat, it’s too hot, it’s too hot, it’s too hot, please, please, it’s too hot,'” Calancea said. “And, you know, Ralph and I were back in, we have to move, and we gotta get away from this car, it’s just too much. And he’s like, ‘We gotta go, we gotta do it now.'”
Moments after they pulled her away, the car exploded. Valenteen said passing motorists helped move the second woman.
The Pennsylvania Turnpike later recognized the pair for their actions.
Asked whether they hesitated before running toward the burning vehicle without protective gear, Calancea said, “No, no, just we do what we need to do.”
Valenteen echoed that sentiment. “To be honest, I don’t even think about it. I just go for it. You jump into action because of people’s lives.”
Both employees stayed with the victims until medics arrived. Authorities have not disclosed what caused the crash, but officials noted that the outcome could have been far worse had the workers not responded as they did.
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