Man Being Hailed Hero After Pulling Woman From Fiery Crash
LONG BRANCH TOWNSHIP (KDKA) -- A Washington County man is being called a hero after he pulled a woman out of a burning car.
The woman, on the other hand, is facing several charges in the incident, which caused a lot of damage.
"It was fully engulfed less than a minute after I got out of the car," said Jeremy Berish, who pulled the woman from the vehicle.
The car is completely destroyed, even the seats are charred; but thanks to Berish, the driver was able to walk away.
"I was in bed, heard scrapping, an impact, looked out of my window, saw taillights where there should not have been taillights, and knew it was a car accident," said Berish.
Behind the wheel of the Toyota Avalon early Wednesday morning, just before 1:30, was 49-year-old Renee Geho, police said. She was unconscious.
"I saw a little flash of fire coming from under the car," Berish said. "I knew I had to hurry up and get her out of the vehicle. No sooner did I get out of the vehicle, it was fully engulfed."
Berish told KDKA's Brenda Waters that he ran from his house in his pajamas and his flip-flops.
The accident happened in front of Janae Layhue's house on Dally Road in Long Branch Township.
"She went through the phone pole on the corner, completely knocked it out," said Layhue. "There wasn't really any phone pole left in the ground at that point, so the entire phone pole was lying across our driveway with all the live wires. We've got a lot of damage to our retaining wall."
Police say Geho, who is from the area, lost control in a sharp bend in the road and she was allegedly intoxicated.
"Whether she was intoxicated or not, she did not deserve to die," Berish said.
Geho was taken to Monongahela Valley Hospital where she was treated and released.
Waters: "Is everybody calling you a hero now?
Berish: "That term is being used, but I don't really see it that way."
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