Jan 24, 2019 3 min read

WAYNESBURG – Two medics are being hailed for their bravery after they pulled a man from his burning vehicle following a fiery crash on Interstate 79 in Greene County last August.

State police on Wednesday honored EMS Southwest medics Scott Ullom and Zachary McDowell with the department’s Outstanding Citizens Award recognizing them for putting their own lives in danger to save a West Virginia man following the Aug. 3 rollover crash on the interstate.

“What is above the call for the general public is commonplace for first responders,” said Capt. Joe Ruggery, commander of Troop B. “Every once in a while, there is something that goes above and beyond that.”

State police received a call shortly after 10 p.m. that day from a motorist that there was a crash between the Ruff Creek and Waynesburg interchanges, but it did not appear to be severe and the caller did not think anyone was still in the vehicle. Trooper Lucas Borkowski rushed to the scene and he and other troopers soon shut down the northbound lanes.

“What we didn’t know was the car was about to burst into flames,” Borkowski said of 40-foot flames that began shooting from the vehicle.

Ullom and McDowell had arrived at the scene moments earlier and were working to free the trapped driver, whose pants had caught fire while the vehicle’s dashboard began melting around him. McDowell used a fire extinguisher in an attempt to douse the flames and both had to remove a futon stored in the rear of the sport utility vehicle to reach him through the back. After a couple of minutes, they were able to pull him through the rear tailgate and place him onto a stretcher before moving their ambulance away as the vehicle became engulfed in flames.

Earlier state police reports identified the injured driver as 24-year-old Eric Joseph Stroud of Clarksburg, W.Va. He was taken to a local hospital for treatment of his burns, but survived the incident. A passenger, Cassondra Mosser, 26, of Rayland, Ohio, also was injured and taken to a local hospital for treatment.

“I have no doubt you saved that guy’s life,” Borkowski said. “Another 20, 30 seconds and he’s dead and we’re investigating a fatal (crash).”

Both medics are also volunteer firefighters; McDowell for Morris Township in Sycamore and Ullom for his hometown in Dallas, W.Va. However, neither had the fire retardant clothing they normally don while responding to fires.

“Just these uniforms,” McDowell said of the short-sleeved, collared shirts worn by EMS Southwest medics. Both men appreciated the honor from state police and a simple “thank you” from the troopers they often work alongside.

“We really don’t get (anything) like this,” McDowell said of recognition for their jobs. “It’s nice to have something like this.”

“I’d like to see a lot more people get recognized for what they do,” added Ullom, who has been a medic with EMS Southwest for 10 years. “Sometimes you have to do a little more than what’s expected.”

The request for the award was put through the state police’s chain of command and approved by department’s headquarters in Harrisburg. Ruggery acknowledged their “conspicuous bravery” during the ceremony Wednesday at the state police barracks near Wayensburg.

“We’re not used to getting thanked. We have slightly different roles and different patches on our sleeves, but our goals are the same,” Ruggery said of the partnership between medics and police officers. “He has you to thank for his life, to put it bluntly.”