Bill Wadsworth, a company employee for 24 years, was walking back into his office thinking about what was next on his to do list before he headed home on a muggy, sunny afternoon.
In the hallway, he heard a startling boom that rattled the building so violently that he thought something crashed into the roof. Upon entering his office, he looked out the window and saw a car had crashed into a tree off US 131 as plumes of smoke and fire billowed from the engine area.
Wadsworth, a Senior Economic Development Manager, didn’t hesitate to jump in. He grabbed a fire extinguisher and ran outside toward the vehicle, not knowing what to expect.
“I saw somebody climbing out the back door, and just assumed there was at least another person in the front seat of the vehicle,” said Wadsworth. “I asked the victim if there was anyone else in the vehicle and he mumbled something, but he was still in shock from the accident.”
Wadsworth went over to the vehicle and extinguished the fire enough to see that there was nobody else in the vehicle, then backed away from the accident. He then realized, the person that crawled out of the back seat was the driver.
“The driver was very lucky to walk away from an accident like that,” Wadsworth said. “I am grateful there wasn’t a tragedy that day.”
After the tow truck arrived and was on the bed of the truck, he noticed the engine was in the front seat of the totaled vehicle.
Wadsworth said an ambulance arrived at the scene and examined the victim, who walked away with a few scratches on his arm.
“You never know when an accident is going to happen and how you are going to respond,” Wadsworth said. “I went from trying to wrap up my day to helping somebody out of a dangerous situation. It’s quite the mind switch.”
Wadsworth commended first responders for arriving quickly to the scene.
“It’s a reminder that things can happen in the blink of an eye,” he said. “And you have to be prepared.”
This isn’t the first time our employees have stepped up to assist, read more about our hometown heroes:
A Holiday Blessing: Consumers Energy employee and part-time police officer makes heroic rescue
Saving a Life All in a Day’s Work for Howell Gas Service Employee
