Good Samaritans Save Woman From Fiery Wreck On The Taconic
YORKTOWN, N.Y. (CBSNewYork) - A Metro-North Employee used a baseball bat to save a life early Friday morning.
An SUV hit a rock wall on the southbound Taconic State Parkway near Exit 14 (Baldwin Road), then rolled onto its side.
Some Good Samaritans spotted the wreck and pulled over to help. The SUV was on fire and the driver was trapped inside.
Brian Geary, 30, a Metro-North worker from East Fishkill, called 911, then pulled out a baseball bat from his car and smashed open the windshield. Geary and the other unidentified Good Samaritan were able to pull Linda Gironda, 56, from the burning car to safety.
She was rushed to Westchester Medical Center with serious injuries.
Geary is a former mechanic and understood the risks involved with smashing the windshield near a flaming engine compartment.
"I figured as long as that fuel tank is not engulfed in flames, I got plenty of time," he said. "I was able to get into the front seat of her car, scoop her up by her shoulders, and I lifted her up and pulled her straight out the windshield."
"Initially, we got her about 15 feet away from the car. That was sufficient for about a minute, because at that point a minute after I got her out, the entire car was engulfed," he added.
Geary told CBS2's Tony Aiello he later heard from Gironda's husband.
"He was at a loss for words. He was just so grateful," he said. "This whole family could have been torn apart. He called me his guardian angel -- her guardian angel."
Geary's girlfriend, Nadia Hourani, said he's a determined guy. She's proud but not surprised by his heroics.
Metro-North is proud too. President Catherine Rinaldi called Geary personally to praise his actions.
A twist of fate put him in the right place at the right time -- a schedule change that had him leaving for work four hours later than usual.
