Man Uses Bare Fist and Knife To Smash Car Window, Pulls Woman's Body from Fiery Wreck

Feb 11, 2019

There are some stories that are just so chilling that we can't imagine what would happen if we were in the same situation. This is certainly true when we hear of any story involving car crashes.

While we do what we can to stay safe on the road, there are some things we can't prepare for. Yes, we all need cars in some capacity, but the amount of destruction they cause is incredible.

One such crash in Colorado reminds us to count ourselves blessed for every safe car ride we've ever experienced. When you think about it, we're all just one wrong turn away from a life-changing moment. This specific Colorado crash changed the lives of multiple people forever.

The near-fatal accident in question occurred when Christine Olson was on her way down Route 34. The 35-year-old had no idea what type of experience she was about to endure.

As she was driving, she noticed that her car was experiencing trouble. She came to a stop and put on her hazard lights. While Christine did all the right things, she couldn't account for everything that was about to happen. Jordan Persichitte happened to be driving behind Olson, going an incredible 65 mph. While this speed is tame for the highway, as she was pulling up behind Olson's stopped car, the sheer speed alone could have been deadly upon impact.

Persichitte looked down for a second to find her cup of coffee. In the next second, her airbags exploded in her face. She had collided with Olson's car.

As Persichitte tried to determine what was going on, the force of the impact had sent Olson's vehicle careening into the intersection.

In a situation like this, what do you do? While the two women were both still alive, the situation continued to escalate into something much worse. Now in the intersection, Olson's car began to burst into flames. In such a dire situation like this, it would appear that there was no way out. Thankfully, Brett Riemenschneider was there to step in and save a life.

While most people don't think to run to a burning vehicle, Riemenschneider knew he had to take immediate action. He couldn't watch the whole car burn up while the driver was still inside.

He knew it was up to him to rescue the driver and he knew what he had to do. He ran out of his vehicle to Olson's car. Suddenly, two other men sprang onto the scene as they raced against the clock to free Olson.

Riemenschneider did what no one else would when he smashed his hand through the window and attempted to unlock the door that way. In a stroke of fate, Olson happened to be donning fire-retardant clothing, which helped to protect him from the fire. The men were able to free Olson and she was sent to the ICU at Swedish Medical Center in Englewood. While she was in critical condition, her family was grateful she was alive.

Riemenschneider was changed forever by the event as well. While he doesn't see himself as a hero, he knows that every person's life has value--that day was just a day where he reached out just as any other good person should. He said, "I tried to put on the tough dad face for my kids. As soon as I got to the bathroom and my mom started picking pieces of glass out of my hand, I just kind of broke down. Like, full-on sobbed like a baby for an hour."

Though the situation is unimaginable, we're so thankful people like Riemenschneider exist. We never know what will happen in the next second of our lives, but we do have every opportunity to make sure we look out for our fellow man and woman.

What did you think of this harrowing tale? Do you think the man is a hero? Leave your thoughts in a comment below and pass this on to friends and family.