Anthony Borrelli

aborrelli@pressconnects.com | @PSBABorrelli

Flames billowed from the smashed car against the concrete barrier on Route 17, and the woman behind the wheel was unable to escape.

Amid the searing heat and smoke, five men scrambled to pull her from the wreckage and kept her stable until emergency responders arrived.

Surrounding this scene on a muggy afternoon Aug. 25, as heavy traffic flowed westbound, was a debris field of 10 smashed vehicles — the remnants of a chain-reaction crash that left some injuries but no fatalities.

Less than month later, the rescued woman — she has since recovered and asked to remain anonymous — wrote a letter to the five men who helped her, saying, "You are heroes."

At a ceremony Wednesday in Binghamton City Hall, Doug Kumpon, Ed Staff, Chris White, Fred Teribury and Albert Fiori — strangers who have since become friends — were praised as local heroes.

Mayor Richard David handed them "keys to the city," which he called the city's highest honor and is rarely awarded but reserved for distinguished members of the community.

"Without question, the occupant of that (burning) vehicle would've died, had it not been for the efforts of these individuals," David said, as the five men sat in chairs to his left while facing two dozen family members and supporters. "You are among our most prominent citizens because of your contributions and actions."

Humble heroes

Clutching his award plaque after Wednesday's ceremony, Kumpon, 48, from Chenango Forks, recounted how he was taking his daughter to a dance class at the time of the crash. He was traveling westbound on Route 17 at the time, he said, but pulled over after seeing the eastbound vehicle burst into flame.

Like his fellow honorees, Kumpon spoke in a humbled tone about how quickly that tumultuous event unfolded and how their efforts were based purely on instinct.

"We saw somebody that needed help, and just stepped up and did what we had to do," Kumpon said. "We weren't thinking about saving a life — she was in danger."

Staff, a 52-year-old Town of Binghamton resident, was the first to approach the burning vehicle. At first, he said, the woman was trying to climb across the seat and it looked as if she would get out in time.

But as it quickly crystallized that she was trapped, he rushed to get a fire extinguisher from the tractor-trailer driver whom police say caused the wreck.

"I helped try and get the door open, and when flames come up, that really scared me," Staff said Wednesday. "After that, it was a blank. It was over with that quick."

One man was trapped in his own vehicle that was wedged under the tractor-trailer, asking for help, recounted White, a 33-year-old Johnson City resident.

"One of the hardest things was telling him, 'There's nothing I can do for you,'" White said. "A couple of us went back to help him ... so we cut his seat belt, and that's when the doctors stepped in."

As a former U.S. Army Special Forces medical non-commissioned officer, Teribury said he was already a seasoned expert in treating casualties — his military service spanned 18½ years — when he found himself three car lengths away from the middle of the Route 17 wreck.

Teribury, a 48-year-old Barton resident, said he carried a trauma bag of medical equipment and helped direct the other people at the scene toward whomever needed the most immediate assistance among those injured.

"Just training kicked in," Teribury recalled Wednesday. "It was actually very nice to utilize all the training and experiences I've had in many countries so close to home."

Fiori, a public safety officer at SUNY Broome Community College, had been in the passing lane in the construction zone and saw traffic come to a stop just before the burning vehicle. He stopped his car and jumped across the median to help.

On Wednesday, Fiori said he is proud to have been part of "the great team," whose efforts that day would hopefully set an example for others about how to do the right thing in a dire situation.

"Simply get involved instead of taking the other route of doing absolutely nothing at all," said Fiori, 47, of Endicott. "Even if it's just standing by to provide witness information ... to offer some water, or first aid, or a fire extinguisher, or just a helping hand."

Weeks after the crash, the woman met with her five rescuers at David's office to thank them for saving her life. Staff said their highly emotional reunion was made all the better by seeing her in such good spirits.

Driver was ticketed

The Aug. 25 crash left 10 people with injuries, none of which were life-threatening.

Binghamton police say heavy traffic was believed to be the cause of the multiple collisions, and the tractor-trailer, which carried stone blocks, had been unable to stop in time before colliding with other vehicles, contributing to the pileup.

The operator of the tractor-trailer, 74-year-old Allen R. Kirkpatrick, from Wyalusing, Pennsylvania, was ticketed by police for operating an out-of-service vehicle.

Members of the state police Commercial Vehicle Enforcement Unit assisted the Binghamton Police Department with the investigation.

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