CENTERBURG — Centerburg resident Kyle Laughrey saw clouds of smoke rolling out of a vehicle as it pulled into the parking lot of Subway on East Main Street last month and immediately jumped into action.
“I just ran towards the vehicle, through the middle of the intersection,” Laughrey said.
Samantha White and her two young children were inside the burning vehicle. As White pulled her youngest child Maycee, 1, out from behind her seat, Laughrey pulled out her other child, Cooper, who was 3 years old at the time.
The Central Ohio Joint Fire District presented Laughrey with the Citizen Distinguish Public Service Award, the first award of its kind, on the evening of June 23, which also happened to be Cooper’s fourth birthday.
“He’s the sweetest, most compassionate little boy and he is a light in our family,” White said about her son with tears in her eyes. “And without Kyle, he might not be here today, for his fourth birthday.”
Laughrey said he just happened to be in the right place at the right time.
“I hope I’m not the only person that would step up to do something like this,” Laughrey said in an interview after the ceremony. “I hope there are more people who are willing to sacrifice and serve others out there.”
Liuetenant Jason Whipple, one of the firefighters who responded to the car fire, submitted a letter to fire chief Mark McCann on May 16 recommending Laughrey be awarded for his actions.
“Mr. Laughrey’s quick response, recognition of the severity of the emergency, bravery and immediate actions taken resulted directly in saving the child’s life,” the letter reads. “A failure to act or actions would have resulted in a tragic outcome.”
At 9:18 a.m. on May 16, COJFD got a call about a Jeep that caught fire in the parking lot of Subway, Whipple said. Before COJFD and the Knox County Sheriff’s Office arrived on the scene minutes later, Laughrey had rescued Cooper, Whipple said.
The cause of the car fire remains unknown, Whipple said.
White said she was grateful that her tragic situation was met with Laughrey’s unexpected bravery. She now encourages others to expect the unexpected.
“Be prepared. Have a plan,” White said. “Because you never think these things are going to happen until they do.”
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