William E. Longmore IV rescued Robert M. Jones from burning, Rome, Georgia, August 16, 2010. Jones, 72, remained in the driver’s seat of his sport utility vehicle after an accident in which the vehicle left the roadway and overturned onto its passenger side. Conscious but dazed, he was unable to free himself from his safety belt as flames broke out at the front of the vehicle and began to spread inside. Longmore, 38, supervisor, and his wife were traveling on the highway and came upon the scene. Taking a fire extinguisher, Longmore ran to the car and fought the flames, emptying the extinguisher, but flames continued to burn and were spreading rapidly. Hearing Jones scream for help, Longmore realized that the vehicle was occupied. He approached the rear of the car and used the extinguisher to break out its hatch window. He partially entered but was forced to retreat by dense smoke. After his wife reached the car and broke windows out with a hammer, the smoke cleared somewhat, allowing Longmore to enter the vehicle fully. He advanced to Jones and, finding him restrained by his safety belt, pulled on Jones’s seat to free him. Flames compromised the belt, and Jones fell from the seat. Longmore grasped him about the arms and dragged him to the rear of the vehicle. With help from his wife, Longmore pulled Jones out of the vehicle and away from it as flames grew to engulf and destroy it. Longmore suffered minor burns to his back but did not require medical treatment, and he recovered. Jones required hospitalization for treatment of serious burns and other injuries.
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