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'I just couldn't let this person die' Mail Tribune / Bob Pennell Mark Adams, left, 40, of Central Point and Dan Cline, 21, of Medford examine the charred remains of a Chevy truck. The two braved a fire and pulled the unconscious driver to safety moments before the truck exploded. By SARAH LEMON Elizabeth Wetherington knows nearly nothing of the accident that could have killed her Monday night. A memory of pitch darkness followed by huge flames confronts her when she calls to mind the drive to a friend's house on Old Stage Road outside Central Point. The two men who pulled the 41-year-old Medford woman from her burning Chevrolet pickup said they hope they never see an accident like that again. "I've never seen a car fire, even on TV, burn like this thing was," said 40-year-old Mark Adams of Central Point. Fire crews arrived at the Old Stage accident scene after Adams and 21-year-old Medford resident Dan Cline dragged Wetherington away from the burning wreckage of her overturned truck seconds before a transformer dangling from a snapped power pole crashed into the cab, which burst into flames. None of the three were seriously injured. "This truck was shooting fire 50 feet into the air," said firefighter Denny Miller of Jackson County Fire District No. 3. "I was sure someone was dead." If Wetherington hadn't been pulled free after her truck's fuel tank ruptured in the 7:30 p.m. crash, she most likely would have died, Miller said. Or been horribly burned. For their heroics, Adams and Cline will receive a civilian lifesaver award presented by District No. 3 firefighters in a ceremony next February. "We usually look for somebody who goes above and beyond," Miller said. The recognition isn't bestowed yearly. Last year no one qualified, Miller said. The fire district also is nominating the two for a statewide citizen lifesaver award. The commendation is slightly soured for both Adams and Cline when they later discovered Wetherington was driving under the influence of alcohol. Sheriff's deputies cited her for that offense and criminal mischief. But Adams said the thought that Wetherington may have been drinking and driving never entered his mind, only that she would die without his help. "I just couldn't let this person die." he said. Adams was on his way to pick up his 10-year-old son from the skating rink when he saw flames licking the night sky. Cline, who had arrived seconds earlier, said he thought a brush or trash pile was burning beside the road. When he saw the upset truck laying on top of smoldering juniper bushes, Cline called 911 on a cellular phone. He told dispatchers that he didn't see anyone inside, and they advised him not to go near the wreck. But Adams saw Wetherington fling up her arm. Adams punched out the truck's rear sliding windows and saw Wetherington slumped on the floor. After spraying the cab with a fire extinguisher that a bystander provided, Adams reached in and pulled on the unconscious woman, but she didn't budge. Four times Adams ducked into the truck in an effort to free Wetherington. He yelled to Cline for help, but Cline hesitated because of the dispatchers' warning. Adams yelled at Wetherington that she was going to die if she didn't help him. After fighting a seemingly losing battle against the choking smoke and fire-heated metal coated with bubbling paint that was too hot and slippery to stand on, Adams ran to a nearby house for a garden hose. Cline decided to take over. "I realized if I didn't do anything then there was not much of a hope for her," he said. He kicked out the window's remaining shards, and pulled on Wetherington's arm. Her body cleared the seat, and Cline slipped and fell into some bushes. With the help of another bystander, Cline dragged Wetherington's still-unconscious form to a ditch across the road. Both Adams and Cline were later treated for smoke inhalation. Wetherington, who never saw the men after she was transported to Rogue Valley Medical Center to receive treatment for minor injuries, said she didn't realize how bad the accident was until she called the newspaper Friday. "I am just so grateful that I didn't hurt or kill anyone," she said. "God puts people in places where they need to be. If they hadn't been there, I don't know what would have happened." Reach reporter Sarah Lemon at 776-4487, or e-mail [email protected] Mail Tribune Home | Ottaway Newspapers, Inc. | Dow Jones & Co., Inc. | Privacy | Contact Us Copyright � 2001 Mail Tribune, Inc.