Ellwood City mayor commends officer for his valor
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Jan. 15—An Ellwood City police officer who rescued a man from a burning truck after a Thursday accident has been recognized for his valor by the borough mayor.
"We in the Ellwood City Police Department and Ellwood City community are extremely proud of officer Robert Bird," commented Mayor Anthony J. Court. "Because of his bravery, a horrific situation was averted."
Bird, a patrolman, is credited for having saved the driver's life after the truck he was driving crashed into a house at 401 Orchard Ave. in the borough and caught fire. The driver, Kaden Fernandez, 24, of Wilmington Road in Neshannock Township, was trapped inside and suffered an apparent medical incident. Bird quickly broke the window of the soon-to-be-engulfed truck and pulled the driver out.
"Officer Robert Bird went above the call of duty, risking his life for the victim," Court said. "He acted swiftly and efficiently to what we believe was a dire situation."
Fernandez was taken by ambulance to a hospital, where he was treated and later released. He went into the police station later and thanked the officers on duty in an emotional encounter with them, according to Sgt. Michael McBride, Ellwood City police officer in charge.
McBride said Fernandez's truck was still running, locked and in drive gear. The truck bed was in flames when Bird arrived at the scene in advance of the fire department.
Bird, a former firefighter, reacted quickly and got Fernandez out of the truck just before the gas tank exploded, McBride said, noting it was a narrow escape.
"The whole bed of the truck was engulfed," McBride said. "If Bird hadn't pulled him out when he did, he'd have been dead."
The fire then spread to a Dodge Durango SUV that was parked nearby.
McBride commented the mayor's commendation to Bird "is well-deserved. That was a true life-saving incident."
The residents were home when the crash occurred, and only the front porch was damaged. They were not injured.
The Ellwood City Fire Department put out the fires, assisted by the volunteer fire departments of Wurtemburg-Perry Wampum, Franklin Township and the North Sewickley Township.
