Pamela Jones-Morton saved Audrey L. Hart and Colleen M. Page from burning, Bonita Springs, Florida, December 10, 2011. Audrey, 3, was the back-seat passenger in the sport utility vehicle driven by her grandmother, Page, 49, that collided with another vehicle and overturned onto its passenger side. Page was suspended, restrained by her safety belt, and Audrey was secured in a child safety seat as flames erupted on the undercarriage of their vehicle. Driving nearby, Jones-Morton, 64, retired educator, witnessed the accident. She approached the sport utility vehicle and attempted to open its only accessible door, at the rear, but it was locked. At Jones-Morton’s urging, Page unlocked the doors. Jones-Morton opened the rear door, cleared items from the cargo area, and entered. The only passageway inside the vehicle was between the tops of the seats and the ceiling, and Jones-Morton maneuvered through it, discovering Audrey as she did so. After struggling to release Audrey from her seat, Jones-Morton carried her to the back of the vehicle and stepped outside. She then re-entered it for Page. She made her way to the front of the vehicle and released Page’s safety belt, Page then falling to the passenger door. The two women made their way to the back of the vehicle and exited. Flames spread quickly, engulfing the vehicle before firefighters arrived.
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