Father and son lauded for life-saving actions after crash

FORT RECOVERY - A father and son didn't think twice about rushing to save the lives of two people involved in an accident that left both their vehicles engulfed in flames.

For their heroic efforts - which included smashing a car window to free a person from certain death - Chris Nearon, 44, and his son, Devin Nearon, 18, both of Fort Recovery, were presented with Citizen Lifesaving Awards this week by members of the Southwest Mercer Fire District, Mercer County Sheriff's Office and the Southern Mercer County Joint Ambulance District.

All three agencies responded to the crash.

"It really hits home with you. We've never had that before, that I remember," said Southwest Mercer Fire Chief Roger Lennartz of the extent of the lifesaving action taken by citizens.

On the evening of May 23, Chris and Devin Nearon came upon a two-vehicle accident at the intersection of Fort Recovery-Minster Road and Burrville Road. Not waiting for emergency personnel to arrive on scene, the two immediately leapt into action.

"The vehicles ended up off the roadway where one of the vehicles caught on fire and as the vehicle was burning, it started catching the other vehicle on fire," Lennartz recounted.

The crash victims did not wish to be identified in this story.

"Those guys went running up there real quick and they saw that (the first subject) was not able to get out of the car so they actually went about and burst the windows out of the car, helped (the subject) out of the vehicle," Lennartz continued.

The subject unable to get out of the vehicle would have surely died if not for the Nearons, Lennartz said.

The Nearons also went to the other vehicle, where they found another subject lying on the ground. Chris and Devin picked up the person and carried them out of harm's way.

Chris Nearon said he and his son did what they needed to do to help the people involved in the wreck.

"We actually seen it when it went down," he said of the accident.

The one subject was unable to get out of the vehicle. The Nearons ran to the vehicle, smashed the windows and extracted the subject before flames spread to the front interior.

"It was right there so … we had to get (the subject) out before the flames got to them," he said.

Asked what compelled him and his son to do what they did, Chris Nearon said they simply reacted to the sight of two people in dire distress.

"We pulled up there and did what needed to be done," he said.

Chris Nearon also commented on what it's like to know he saved a life.

"It feels good," he said matter-of-factly, noting he hopes someone would do the same for him, his family or his friends if they found themselves in a similar predicament.

Sheriff Jeff Grey heaped praise on the father and son.

"There was a risk to them, too. Whether they actually realized the risk at the time or not, I don't know, but they risked themselves to go help other people," he said.

Moreover, Grey said the two men bucked what appears to be a growing nationwide trend of people documenting situations rather than directly intervening.

"In this day and age, too many times people are pulling out their cellphones and videotaping what's going on instead of helping when people need help," Grey said. "I think these two gentlemen just did a wonderful job and most definitely saved some people's lives. I think they need to be commended for that."