'Good Samaritans' pull two people from burning pickup

A pair of “good Samaritans” were involved in rescuing two Jackson County residents from a burning pickup after it crashed and caught fire Thursday morning near Denison, Jackson County Sheriff Tim Morse said Friday.

“We have not released the names of those who were involved in the initial rescue. We are confirming that it was two men who stopped,” said Morse regarding the accident, which occurred at about 8:40 a.m. that day on K-16 just south of 198th Road, north and west of Denison.

At that time, sheriff’s officers were notified of an injury accident involving a 2017 Chevrolet Silverado driven south on K-16 by Harold E. Crispin, 55, of Holton. Upon arrival, it was reported that the Silverado apparently left the right side of the highway before hitting a driveway ditch and going airborne.

The Silverado then hit the ground, rolled over onto its driver’s side and caught fire, trapping Crispin and a passenger, Clay Hodges, 59, of Denison, inside the cab, according to a deputy’s report on the accident.

According to Morse, two passersby stopped and helped remove the pickup’s windshield, rescuing Crispin and Hodges from the Silverado’s cab. The pickup was fully engulfed by the time responders, including sheriff’s officers, the Holton Fire Department and Jackson County EMS, arrived at the scene.

According to the deputy’s report, Crispin, who stated that he just remembered leaving the roadway before the accident occurred, was taken by ambulance to Holton Community Hospital for treatment of injuries received in the accident that were determined not to be life-threatening.

Hodges was treated for possible injuries at the scene and declined further transport, according to the sheriff’s report, which noted that both men were wearing safety belts at the time of the accident. The Silverado was deemed a total loss and was towed from the scene, according to the report.

Regarding the cause of the fire, Morse said it is “not uncommon” for vehicles to catch fire following a crash.

“There are lots of electrical components, batteries and various things that can ignite a fire,” the sheriff said.

Morse added that while the names of the two who stopped and helped Crispin and Hodges get out of the Silverado are not being released at this time, they have been contacted “to see if we can do more in recognizing them” for their actions to save the men inside the pickup.