Alexander J. Machado rescued Craig S. Burgholzer from burning, Milton, Delaware, March 3, 2007. Burgholzer, 23, remained in the cab of his pickup truck after a nighttime accident in which the vehicle left the roadway, struck a tree, and came to rest upside down in a field. Flames broke out at the vehicle, issuing from its underside and entering the cab. Machado, 23, maintenance employee, heard the accident from his nearby home. He responded to the scene, where he saw Burgholzer trapped inside the vehicle, trying to fight the flames back. After attempting unsuccessfully to open the vehicle’s doors, Machado kicked out the window of the driver’s door. Despite the nearby flames, Machado reached inside the cab, grasped Burgholzer, and started to pull him head first through the window. He then grabbed Burgholzer under the arms, pulled him the rest of the way out, and dragged him to safety. The truck was destroyed in the accident and fire. Burgholzer was hospitalized for treatment of extensive burns and a broken ankle. Machado suffered minor scratches to his hands, and he recovered.
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