The call came in just after eleven on a December night – a vehicle fire near a rural intersection. Dispatchers relayed frantic reports of flames and a crash, but the true urgency wouldn't be known until officers arrived on the scene.
Cortland Police officers John Mosora and Chuck Lohry were the first to reach the wreckage. A vehicle had sheared through a fence, violently overturned, and ignited, flames already licking at the twisted metal.
Officer Mosora immediately assessed the situation: a driver trapped inside, surrounded by fire. Without hesitation, he began searching for a way in, quickly realizing the doors were inaccessible.
Thinking fast, Mosora smashed through the vehicle’s sunroof, creating a precarious opening amidst the growing inferno. The driver, conscious but severely injured, repeatedly cried out in pain, stating his leg was broken and he couldn’t move.
“My leg is broken. I can’t move. I can’t move. Give me a second,” the driver pleaded, his voice strained. But time was a luxury they didn’t have. “We don’t have a second,” an officer responded, the urgency palpable.
Smoke rapidly filled the interior, obscuring visibility and choking the air. Officers relentlessly urged the driver to cooperate, knowing every second counted. “Let’s go. Let’s go. We ain’t waiting,” one shouted, “You gotta help me help you.”
While Lohry battled the flames with a fire extinguisher, creating a small pocket of safety, Mosora strained to drag the driver free. The rescue unfolded in a desperate race against the intensifying fire.
Just moments before the vehicle was fully engulfed, they succeeded. The driver was pulled from the wreckage, escaping certain tragedy. Officer Mosora sustained minor injuries during the harrowing rescue.
Fire departments arrived shortly after, extinguishing the blaze and providing critical medical attention. The driver was transported to a hospital, his condition initially unknown.
The Ohio State Highway Patrol is now investigating the cause of the crash, piecing together the events that led to this near-fatal incident and the courageous actions of the officers who saved a life.
