An unfortunate fatal accident in Anne Arundel County this morning had an uplifting end when a U.S. Coast Guard petty officer passed by the crash, rushed to the burning car and pulled a child to safety (the photo at left is from Anne Arundel County Police).

Here is the announcement from Anne Arundel County Police:

Millersville (MD) … An early morning motor vehicle collision in the Baltimore section of Anne Arundel County that claimed the life of an adult female could have been even more tragic were it not for the heroic actions of a United States Coast Guard Petty Officer and Anne Arundel County Police Officer.  At approximately 6:45 am Anne Arundel County Firefighters received a call for a report of a serious motor vehicle collision at the intersection of East Ordinance Road and Blades Lane. En-route crews were told that at least one vehicle was on fire. 

Upon arrival, responders found a four vehicle collision involving three passenger vehicles and a commercial trash vehicle. One passenger car and the truck were heavily involved in fire.  Crews quickly controlled the fire and provided emergency medical services to the injured.  One female, the driver of a passenger vehicle, suffered fatal injuries on the scene and a five year old child suffered critical injuries. The child was transported to the John Hopkins University Pediatric Trauma Center in Baltimore by paramedic ambulance. 

In the process of interviewing witnesses, firefighters determined that a Petty Officer First Class from the United States Coast Guard assigned to the Curtis Bay facility had stopped at the scene when the incident occurred. He ran past several on-lookers and, at great personal risk to his own life, reached into the burning vehicle and removed the child while an Anne Arundel County Police Officer worked to rescue the woman. The adult woman had already suffered fatal injuries but the officer was not aware of that when he attempted to rescue her.

“Absolutely heroic,” were the words of Fire Chief John Robert Ray upon learning of the incident. “Clearly this tragedy would have been compounded were it not for the actions of the Petty Officer and police officer.  The Coast Guard motto Semper Paratus  was demonstrated in the clearest terms today by an individual who placed himself is extreme danger to save a life. The department extends its deepest sympathies to those affected in this incident and its strongest sense of gratitude to the Petty Officer who saved the little girl’s life.”

The cause of the incident remains under investigation by Anne Arundel County Police.