Carnegie Hero Fund Honors Three Salina Area Men

Three Salina area men are being honored for their efforts in early 2010 that saved the lives of two men who were involved in a motor vehicle wreck, where a fire broke out. The honor is from The Carnegie Hero Fund Commission who released this summary of what happened:

Orville D. Clinton and Jay S. Huscher saved Tanner S. Porter from burning, and with Troy Allen Reinert saved Tyler L. B. Sunderlin, on February 20, 2010.

Porter, 18, was the driver of a car that collided with a pickup truck and left the roadway. It came to rest upright in a pasture, and flames broke out in its front end. Porter remained conscious but was trapped in the front-seat area of the wreckage, as was a passenger, Sunderlin, 18, who had been rendered unconscious.

Clinton, 58, a production worker who lived nearby, drove upon the scene. He reported the accident and then ran to the burning car.

Huscher, 56, and aircraft worker, also lived nearby; hearing the accident, he too reported it and then ran to the scene.

Clinton removed pieces of the windshield and pulled on the dash to free Porter as Huscher attempted to fight the growing flames with a piece of the wreckage. They then opened the driver’s door, reached inside, and pulled Porter out, learning from him that Sunderlin was in the burning car.

After taking Porter to safety, the men returned to the car and again reached inside through the driver’s door, for Sunderlin, whom they found trapped by wreckage.

Reinert, 37, a business operator, had arrived by then. He leaned through the window of the passenger door and worked to free Sunderlin as flames grew and spread both toward the passenger side and inside the vehicle, to the dash.

After the men freed Sunderlin, Clinton and Huscher pulled him from the car and then, joined by Reinert, carried him to safety. Flames grew quickly to engulf and destroy the vehicle.

Porter and Sunderlin were hospitalized for treatment of their injuries, requiring surgery, but they were not burned. Clinton suffered cuts to his hands but did not require medical treatment, and he recovered.