An Aurora man is alive thanks to a dramatic rescue by a good Samaritan who pulled the 72-year-old from his car just before it was struck by a train, Kane County sheriff’s officials said Wednesday.
The man had turned west from Barnes Road in Sugar Grove Township onto the railroad tracks Saturday night. He continued driving with the vehicle’s wheels on the outside of the rails before it became lodged on top of the tracks.
A nearby resident and good Samaritan was passing by and saw the vehicle stuck on the tracks with the tires spinning, according to the sheriff’s office.
The Samaritan left his vehicle on the side of the road and went to check on the driver. He found the driver was apparently suffering from a medical episode and was unable to move. As the man called 9-1-1, he looked down the tracks and saw an oncoming train.
He unbuckled the driver and pulled him to safety, ultimately tumbling down the side of the tracks just as the train collided with the vehicle.
The man stayed with the driver until deputies arrived a short time later to render aid. No citations have been issued, sheriff’s officials said, and deputies do not believe alcohol or drugs were a contributing factor.
“Every day, we see the people of Kane County doing charitable and even courageous things for one another,” Sheriff Ron Hain said in a statement. “It is no surprise that one of our own sprang into action just in time to save another.”