Returning from Idaho Falls via westbound Interstate 84 on a snowy March 6 around noon, ITD’s Travis Hire, Dan Conner from Aero, and Ruth Munoz from Administration spotted a car starting to smoke on the side of the freeway near the Declo Port of Entry, east of Twin Falls. The smoke was threatening to turn to flame.
Hire approached the car, and with heavy smoke billowing by ths time from the engine compartment, he called out. His heart sank as he saw an elderly woman inside the car. The woman was not coherent and “in another minute or two, it likely would have been a fatality,” according to the team. “Timing is everything.”
Dan continued battling the flames with a fire extinguisher focused on the engine compartment, and Ruth called 911 to get emergency services dispatched to the scene.
Acting quickly, Travis opened the passenger door, allowing smoke to escape and revealing the driver still in her seat, disoriented and struggling to speak. Hire saw that flames had already burned through the footwell and knew there was no time to waste. He reassured the driver, unbuckled her seatbelt, and carefully pulled her out through the passenger side to avoid traffic. Once she was safely outside, he checked her for injuries as she took deep breaths of fresh air, working to regain her bearings.
It was a great example of a ‘right place, right time, right team’ confluence.
As the team quickly retrieved the driver’s personal belongings from the vehicle, including items in the trunk.
“To go into a burning car to save someone’s life is ‘next level’ stuff,” Dan said. “I know Travis is uncomfortable with the attention, but I feel he should be recognized. He likely saved her life.”
“Besides, how often does the Emergency Manager who oversees highway rescues actually spearhead the action?!”
Once the woman had been rescued and was out of harm’s way, Simone Webb, Nicole Herrin and Robbie Swajkoski of Financial Services, who’d followed in another ITD vehicle, sat with her in a recovery vehicle until law enforcement arrived to take her statement.
“This was a great team effort, showcasing how we take care of the public,” Travis said. “At the end of the day, she was safe, and that’s what matters most.”
The event in Idaho Falls was the annual State facilities management meeting, where topics ranged from project status checks, to finance, technology, GIS, business managers, Operations engineering lessons learned, duties, roles & responsibilities and more.
Photo: Rescue Team, l to r: Travis Hire, Robbie Swajkoski, Ruth Munoz, and Nicole Herrin. Dan Conner is not pictured.