Workers, witnesses praise man’s lifesaving actions after driver crashes into Utah gas station
By Darienne DeBrule
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OREM, Utah (KSTU) — Workers at a local gas station are calling a man a hero after he stepped up to help in an emergency situation.
Gary Hone goes to the gas station near his home off University Parkway in Orem every day to grab a soda. The soda is what made him start going there, but Hone says the workers are what keep him coming back.
“I can stop anywhere on the way home, but these guys are awesome, just outstanding people,” he said.
Friday night, Hone and his wife were outside the gas station with their dog when his wife saw a car barreling toward the gas pumps.
“He went in between the pump poles on an angle, I don’t know how without hitting it, over the curb and missed a big pine tree and stopped before continuing on,” Hone recalled. “He had an angel looking after him.”
After seeing what happened, Hone says he rushed to the car where he saw the driver slumped over inside.
“I didn’t see him breathing, pulled him up, started pounding on him, told him, ‘You’re not leaving me now, bud!’ Finally got him to start breathing,” Hone said.
Hone said a nurse took over, and he turned his attention to a fire that he saw starting near the pumps. He ran into the gas station to get a fire extinguisher while employees called 911.
“It was like a 4-inch pipe and a blue flame coming out and I just, I went for it and put it out, and it was a good thing I did,” Hone said.
Outside the gas station, there is still caution tape around the hole where the gas pump used to be and tire marks on the pavement.
“I’ve walked over here several times since and I just replay the whole thing in my mind, just so happy the gentleman’s OK,” Hone said.
Orem Police said the driver suffered a medical emergency, but they didn’t have an update on his current condition. Workers at the gas station are calling their regular, Hone, “a hero” for what he did to help the driver and stop the fire.
“I’ll get a ‘How you doing Gary?’ every day for sure now,” Hone said with a laugh. “I know where all the fire extinguishers are.”
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