Leslie M. Hough
, 64, of Selden, N.Y., died Tuesday, June 11, 2019, in Patchogue, N.Y.
Hough was awarded the Carnegie Medal in 1999 for rescuing a 31-year-old woman from a burning pickup truck after a highway accident in Centereach, N.Y. Hough responded to the scene with a fire extinguisher after hearing the accident from his nearby home.
Despite being disabled by a painful back and neck condition, Hough fought the flames with the extinguisher and then attempted to open the driver’s door, but it was jammed. He went to the passenger side of the truck, opened that door, and partially entered the cab to grasp the woman and pull her to the ground. Flames on the truck increased as Hough dragged the woman to safety.
Hough was born June 16, 1954, in New York and worked as a real estate agent.and two great-grandchildren.