| FEBRUARY 2, 2012 -- Robert Kitch has only been in uniform for a few months, but he's already acting like a hero.
The UConn freshman, who enrolled in the ARMY ROTC program, stepped up on Tuesday night. When a three-car chain-reaction crash quickly turned into a car fire, he and another good samaritan pulled an unconscious man to safety.
“The wheel ended up catching fire and the man was passed out from smoke inhalation in the driver seat, so I went onto the other side and started bashing it with my elbow,” Kitch said.
But the glass was too thick. Another good samaritan saw Rob struggling and stepped in to help. “He actually had a hammer in his car and he broke the window. That’s how we got it started,” Kitch said. Even when the two men got into the car, it was still a struggle. There was so much smoke, Kitch couldn’t see or breathe.
“I needed to get fresh air because the smoke was very thick. When I came out, the other man went in and helped pull (the victim) out, and then we both just grabbed onto him and yanked him right out,” Kitch said.
A few minutes later, the fire department put out the flames and paramedics got to the scene.
“He wasn’t breathing. His eyes were rolled back in the back of his head, he was definitely unconscious when they sat him up over there. They put oxygen on him; I did notice he was coming back to life,” Kitch said.
Rob bruised his bone trying to break the window. He and the driver were taken to Windham Hospital and Rob has to wear a sling for a week.
A nurse told him the driver is going to be OK, and Rob hopes to meet the man he saved.
“I never got his name. I’d like to talk to him if I could. Hopefully this will get my name out there for him to contact me, but I would definitely like to speak to him,” Kitch said.
The future soldier doesn’t call himself a hero, He said he is just happy to help.
Note: Kitch is a member of Winchester Grange. |
