A couple of years ago, Sarah Kalnajs was driving to Prairie du Sac to do some training with a client’s dogs. She was on the interstate and ahead of her was a truck pulling a pop-up camper. Before she knew what was happening, the truck and camper went off the road, into the ditch and rolled over a time or two and burst into flames.
She stopped her car and one other person stopped too; he said he was calling 911. There was screaming from the car and the couple and their two young children couldn’t get out because the door was jammed.
"I had the thought “holy cow, will the truck blow up”? I decided to help them anyway! Another man had run over and was trying to open the door and couldn’t get it so he went to the other side. I just walked up and yanked on the door and it popped open. I don’t know how I did it! I don’t remember it very clearly. I pulled the two little boys from the car and ran them about fifty yards away (one at a time) while some men pulled the parents out. I remember the little blond boy I had in my arms (he must have been around three) was clinging onto my neck and shaking.
When the emergency vehicles arrived, I just wandered off to my car and drove away, thinking I had better get to my appointment. I didn’t think that there were any serious injuries; just lots of cuts and bruises and some minor burns.
When the emergency vehicles arrived, I just wandered off to my car and drove away, thinking I had better get to my appointment. I didn’t think that there were any serious injuries; just lots of cuts and bruises and some minor burns.
I took the next exit because I was kind of shaky and went into McDonalds to just sit for a couple of minutes. Everyone was looking at me. I went into the bathroom and realized only then that I was pretty much covered in blood (not drenched, but very obvious).
I called to the hospitals to see if they were OK and because I wasn’t family couldn’t get a lot of information, but did manage to find out that they were from the Chicago area and were going on their first camping trip with the new camper."