Louis A. Cyr, 40, attorney, saved Joseph J. Plourde, 21, cook, and attempted to save Wilfred J. Perreault, 57, wood polisher, from burning, Amesbury, Massachusetts, September 5, 1958. When Plourde, driving his four-door sedan and accompanied by Perreault, entered a curve at high speed, the automobile struck a curb, tipped over, and skidded 200 feet on its side before stopping. As flames broke out at the rear of the vehicle, Cyr alighted from his automobile nearby and ran to the sedan, where Plourde was attempting to climb through the opening of a front door window. Cyr pulled Plourde partially through the opening and with the aid of another man dragged him a safe distance away. Returning to the burning sedan, Cyr saw Perreault struggling to his feet. As Cyr started to reach through the window to aid Perreault, an explosive spread of flames issued into the front seat and upward to within inches of Cyr’s face, driving him back. Cyr tried to break the windshield with his foot and then to open the door but was unable to do so. Perreault struggled to his feet in the window opening, his clothing entirely afire, and then slumped back into the flames that filled the front compartment. Cyr was forced back by the spreading flames which quickly enveloped the entire sedan and rose 20 feet into the air. They were extinguished by firemen, who then removed Perrault’s body.
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