WENTZVILLE, Mo. – The Wentzville Fire Protection District recognized five citizens during the department’s board meeting on Thursday. They are credited with stopping when they saw a fiery crash last month and rescuing a mother and her three children.
Chris Scoville is one of the citizens who stopped to help. He is also a St. Louis Metropolitan police officer. He was off duty when he helped with the rescue.
“Everybody stopped and came together that night and worked together as a good team to pull the kids out of the vehicle and make sure everyone got to safety,” Scoville said.
Chris Rice is a Wentzville resident who also stopped to help.
“I used my pocketknife, and I smashed the passenger back window,” he said. “The off-duty officer got the little boy out of the car seat while the car was on fire.”
“The front engine was on fire about 15-20 seconds later,” Scoville said. “When we got the boy out and cleared them, the whole car was engulfed in flames.”
“Literally, I would call them lifesavers,” said Deputy Chief Michael Scott with the Wentzville Fire Protection District.”
Kayleigh Volker is the mother who was trapped with her 7-year-old daughter and 4-year-old twin sons inside the van. She suffered a concussion and does not remember the crash. She attended Thursday’s board meeting and thanked those who stopped to make the rescue.
“I’m very grateful for them,” Volker said. “If it was not for them, I mean, we would most likely not be here.”
Ken Clinton, a Troy resident who stopped to help, said he could hear screams and thought of his own family. He felt like rushing to help was the only option. Once the family was pulled to safety, Clinton comforted Volker’s daughter, who kept asking if the fiery crash was a nightmare.
“All I could do is sit on the ground with her and hold her hands,” Clinton said.
Scott said his department does not use the word “heroes” loosely but believes it’s the appropriate term for those who stopped to help. He also encourages citizens to learn CPR so they can be prepared to assist if they are ever in a situation to save a life.
Here are the names of the individuals recognized by the Wentzville Fire Protection District on Thursday:
Christopher Rice
Dawn Rice
Ken Clinton
Brandon Clinton
Chris Scoville