Edward Heussler attempted to rescue Helen C. Newcombe from burning, Richmond, Virginia, January 22, 2002. Ms. Newcombe, 79, was seated in the living room of her house when an accidental fire broke out nearby in the room. Her daughter pulled her to the floor and attempted to remove her from the house, but rapidly deteriorating conditions forced her out. Approaching the scene in his delivery truck, Heussler, 42, express mail courier, was alerted to the fire. Heussler ran to the house, entered the front door, and saw Ms. Newcombe lying on the floor amidst flames. He approached her, grasped her, and was dragging her toward the door when a flashover occurred, engulfing the room with flames and shutting the front door. Heussler opened the door and, on fire, went to the ground outside to extinguish the flames. Firefighters arrived shortly and removed Ms. Newcombe from the house. She had died. Heussler required lengthy hospitalization for treatment, including skin grafting, of extensive burns about the upper body.
75817 – 8652
75817-8652