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MAHOMET — Police Officer Joel Jessup credits his training as a firefighter for his actions in helping to save a motorist from a burning car in rural Mahomet last month.
Jessup and a civilian on the scene will be cited at Tuesday evening’s Mahomet Village Board meeting for their heroism.
Jessup was recently presented a lifesaving award from the department. He and resident Jeffrey Jarrett will be lauded by the village board.
“(Jarrett) was standing by and willing to step up and get the kid out of the car,” Police Chief Mike Metzler said.
The vehicle had caught fire after it struck a culvert and a tree and rolled over on Turkey Farm Road northwest of Mahomet.
The impact separated the engine and the transmission from the vehicle, which caught fire.
The driver, a 19-year-old male, was still in the vehicle when Jessup and onlookers arrived.
Jessup said the front of the vehicle, a convertible, was engulfed in flames.
“I discovered (the driver) was in the car. I immediately went to the fire extinguisher in the back of the squad,” Jessup said, noting he knew he would not be able to get the fire out completely because it was “being fed by fuel” but wanted to diminish the blaze as much as possible before rescuing the driver.
“I assumed it was fuel-fed,” Jessup said. “There were 5- or 6-foot fire balls where the engine had been.”
Jessup said he asked Jarrett if he could get the passenger-side door open. He said he had already tried to but couldn’t open it.
“Jeff tried to climb in the back of the car,” Jessup said. “I didn’t think it was prudent for the civilian” to do that, so he said he should come around to the driver’s side.
While Jessup went in to get the driver, Jarrett grabbed the driver’s legs and helped lift him out. They moved him away from the car.
Metzler said they discovered the driver had no pulse.
“Jessup starts CPR, and by the time the ambulance loads him on, they re-establish the pulse,” Metzler said.
“Body camera video of his actions are pretty compelling. What he did was certainly dangerous and certainly something that gave this kid the only chance he had to survive.”
Corn Belt firefighters, Champaign County sheriff’s deputies and Arrow Ambulance soon arrived.
Metzler said the driver ended up in a Springfield hospital. His condition is not known.
Jessup said that prior training as a firefighter, first with Seymour and now with Corn Belt, helped him to remain calm.
“I knew no way he would survive unless he was out of the car,” Jessup said. “As we’re trying to get the fire out and we were trying to get (the driver) out of the car, I had to tell” METCAD what was going on.
Jessup lauded the METCAD dispatcher, who was calm and professional and notified other emergency agencies of the status of the situation.
Jessup said he made a point of asking Metzler to recognize Jarrett for his help in the rescue.
“I had an obligation (as a police officer), but Jeff didn’t.
“Jeff was active before I got there. Just having anyone on scene who is willing to help when called upon is extremely beneficial; I can’t express enough appreciation.”