It has been well over a year since Austin Hayes and Haley Parks came upon a horrific traffic crash just south of Mineral Bluff on Highway 60.
They were honored last week for their quick actions in the face of terrifying danger.
April Michelle Burrell was driving north May 13, 2022, when her vehicle was struck head on by a drunk driver. That driver was charged with driving under the influence and failure to maintain lane.
Hayes of Mineral Bluff and Parks of Blue Ridge were on the scene by happenstance before the first responders arrived.
Burrell was trapped in her mangled 1999 Lincoln Continental, her injuries so severe that she could not move.
Her car began to smolder and smoke.
Hayes and Parks acted quickly, cutting Burrell’s seatbelt and moving her a safe distance from her vehicle. Then, as the car burst into flames, the two rescurers moved Burrell again to make sure she was safe and away from the hot flames coming from the fire.
At the Tuesday, September 26, meeting of the Fannin County Board of Commissioners, Jim Callender of the Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 6570 presented these two young heroes with Life Saving Awards and thanked them for their selflessness and courage. He commended them on their fast reaction and fearlessness in the face of danger.
Burrell was at the meeting and presented her two rescuers with gifts as a thank you for saving her life.