Neighbors who heard a late-night crash outside their Auburn, New Hampshire, homes, rushed to the scene. On Oct. 23, 2019, the car, containing Cohen D. Bergeron, 23, and Fallon R. Andrews, 23, had crashed into a roadside tree, its hood igniting immediately. Alan R. Cote, a 54-year-old public works superintendent, and Stephen P. Carkhuff, a 57-year-old operations director, responded to the burning car; its passengers were unresponsive. Cote arrived at the car first and forced open the driver’s door. As flames lapped over the windshield area, he entered the car and attempted to release Bergeron’s seat belt. Cote grasped Bergeron and pulled him out of the car. Carkhuff and others helped carry him to safety. Carkhuff then returned to the car, crawled across the driver’s seat and center console and was attempting to free Andrews. Cote arrived and through Andrews’ window, cut her seat belt with a knife. Carkhuff grasped Andrews and inched her out of the car. There, Cote and others assisted Carkhuff in carrying her to safety. Andrews suffered extensive injuries in the crash, but she was not burned.
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