Andrea L. Harris

Andrea L. Harris saved Demarcus T. Richardson from burning, Coker, Alabama, July 27, 2018. Demarcus, 7 months old, remained inside a car that had traveled off a rural highway at night and overturned onto its roof. The driver, his mother, sought help on the highway, alerting Harris, 33, a water meter reader, who was driving past the scene. He stopped, moved down a grassy embankment, and approached the car. Flame issued from the car’s undercarriage near the engine. Unable to open the passenger-side doors, Harris lay on his stomach at the rear, passenger-side door and twice struck the window with his right hand, breaking it open. As smoke issued through the window, he could not see or hear Demarcus. Harris crawled inside the window to his waist, feeling around for Demarcus while trying to keep his eyes closed because of the smoke. Locating Demarcus lying inside on the car’s roof near a headrest, Harris grasped his leg and pulled him out through the window as he withdrew. The fire grew as Harris carried Demarcus to the highway. Demarcus was not burned.

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