Two Saanich Peninsula men were honoured today for their heroic actions in saving a man who was involved in a fiery pre-Christmas crash in North Saanich.
It was Dec. 23 when Sidney/North Saanich RCMP and Central Saanich Police Service responded to the single vehicle crash.
A male driver had stolen a Cadillac from a gas station in Saanich and fled the scene with the hose and nozzle still attached. After encountering the police twice, he continued to flee, later crashing into a cement pump station along Lochside Drive in North Saanich.
It was there two individuals — North Saanich resident Stephen Donaldson and Central Saanich resident Mark Perkins — helped save the man from the smoking vehicle, which was later engulfed in flames.
“Today we wanted to really recognize members of the community, these two gentlemen for having taken those actions that resulted in the saving of this man’s life,” said Wayne Conley, interim detachment commander with Sidney/North Saanich RCMP at today’s awards luncheon.
He said it’s not every day that you have an incident like this unfold.
Erin Fraser, Sidney North Saanich operations support NCO presented the two men with what’s called Detachment Commander Certificates of Appreciation for their actions.
Both men, who never knew each other before the incident, were on their way home when they decided to pull over and lend a helping hand.
It was Donaldson who was first on the scene. With his wife and granddaughter in the car, he pulled over immediately when he saw the crash.
“I was the first one there and I tried to get the door open of the car but the car was on a slant in the ditch…” he said, adding that there were electric locks.
He said he later found out that the battery must have been smashed as it was battery acid that destroyed all his clothing.
“He couldn’t get the window down because they were electric windows, couldn’t unlock the doors because they were electric doors, and at that time Mark showed up,” he said.
While Donaldson’s granddaughter dialled 9-11, Perkins went over to help Donaldson.
“As I’m walking up to the vehicle, Stephen’s wife said, ‘there’s somebody in there!’” said Perkins, adding that the vehicle then caught fire.
Perkins, a retired firefighter with Victoria Fire Department, who was also driving home with his five-year-old grandson, saw the vehicle speed by him before crashing.
“He went past me. I’m driving south on Lochside heading home just past the Anacortes ferry dock and this guy came out of nowhere. I didn’t even see him in my mirror,” said Perkins.
Although Perkins didn’t see the crash, he figured the vehicle wasn’t going to go much farther as he knew the ’S’ curve was coming up ahead. Telling his young grandson to stay put, Perkins went up to help Donaldson get the man out of the burning vehicle.
With the metal coupling hose still attached to the vehicle from when the man was at the gas station, Donaldson used that to break the passenger side window, while Perkins handed Donaldson a chunk of wood he found in the ditch to push away the glass once it was busted.
“It finally shattered and we reached in and I said ‘you’re coming with us,’ and fortunately he had no seatbelt on so it was easier to pull him out, so he grabbed one shoulder and I grabbed the other and we pulled him out,” said Perkins.
The two men were able to get the man a good distance away from the vehicle before emergency personnel and police showed up. The driver was taken to hospital with significant injuries and has since been recovering.
Since the incident, the two local heroes and former strangers have met for coffee.