Neighbors Who Rescued Driver from Burning Car Set to Be Honored

Three people in a small city in southwest Michigan are being lauded for their heroism after they rushed to save a man from a burning car. As city officials prepare to acknowledge them with citizen awards, the identity of the third rescuer remains a mystery.

On Nov. 5, a car hit a pole on ​​Capital Avenue Northeast in Battle Creek and began to catch fire with the driver still inside, according to the city’s news release.

Megan Waschak, an off-duty emergency dispatcher, was inside her home when she heard the collision, CBS affiliate WWMT reported. 

“You could hear the tires squeal and then the big bang,” she told the outlet.

When she ran outside, Waschak saw that a car had hit a cement barrier. Small flames were just beginning to emerge as she approached and saw a younger man talking to the driver, according to the outlet. 

“It started building and building,” she told WWMT of the flames, which the driver didn’t seem to be aware of. “It was life over limb at that point; we needed to get him out. He was not trying to get out. I don’t think he would have gotten out by himself.”

Together, Waschak and the young man pulled out the driver. 

“If something exploded, we were right in the line of it,” the woman told WWMT. At that point, another neighbor, Donovan Greer, arrived to help carry the occupant of the vehicle to safety, the outlet reported. 

The trio wasn’t the only ones who helped the endangered driver. Robert Hegerberg, another local, was driving by when he came upon the scene of the crash, according to city officials. He witnessed the three people save the driver and helped direct traffic until first responders arrived. Following the courageous rescue, Hegerberg was determined to have the rescuers publicly acknowledged. 

“It must have stuck with him because a few days later he called me and said, ‘People need more positive news,’ ” the city noted in their release. “A few hours later, he showed up at City Hall to tell me more.”

Hegerberg had taken time to return to the location of the crash to inquire about the names of the three rescuers. He learned Waschak and Greer’s names, but the third person has yet to be identified, officials said. 

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“We’re working with our police department to officially recognize Megan, but Robert’s right — this story matters. Especially today,” the city added. “Battle Creek is lucky to have neighbors like Megan, and bulldogs like Robert who refuse to let good deeds go unnoticed.”

The city of Battle Creek and the Battle Creek Police Department did not immediately respond to PEOPLE’s requests for further information. 

For Waschak, her quick action was part of being a good citizen. She and the other neighbors who have been identified have been selected for citizen awards from the police department, according to WWMT.

“The whole community that was here did not do it expecting anything in return,” Waschak told the outlet. “We know this area, this happens all the time, and we knew we needed to help them.”