OBSERVER Photo by Gregory Bacon Pictured from left are Paul VanDenVouver, Legislator Bob Bankoski, D-Dunkirk, Thomas Brown, and Legislator Kevin Mudowney, R-Dunkirk. VanDenVouver and Brown received commendations for pulling a city resident out of a vehicle that was on fire, during a multi-vehicle crash this summer on Central Avenue.

Two Dunkirk residents were saluted by the Chautauqua County Legislature for their heroic actions.

On Wednesday night, the legislature issued commendations to Paul VanDenVouver and Thomas Brown for helping pull a city resident out of his vehicle during a serious accident Aug. 11.

“These commendations that we have put together don’t really speak volumes of what actually happened on the night of the tragic accident on Central Avenue in the city of Dunkirk,” said Legislator Bob Bankoski, D-Dunkirk. “There was a high-speed car race going down Central Avenue and the car going at a high rate of speed of approximately 80 miles an hour ran head-on into a parked car that was waiting at the stop light, causing this individual that was driving this parked car become trapped in his vehicle.”

Bankoski noted that the trapped driver had a broken leg and the vehicle’s engine became engulfed in flames. VanDenVouver and Brown live nearby, heard the crash and ran to the scene.

“The (vehicle) door was jammed. Luckily, Paul was able to pull the door out. Tom, being a retired Dunkirk firefighter, utilized his many years of life-saving skills to get the individual out of the car and to a safe area,” Bankoski said.

Had they not done this, Bankoski said, the driver would have been consumed by the fire.

Two other people died in the crash that day.

According to Dunkirk Police, Luis Perez-Torres, 31, of Dunkirk was the high-speed driver, traveling north on Central Avenue approaching the intersection of Howard Avenue. He struck three vehicles that day. He and passenger Erik Rodriguez Montalvo, 17, also known as Erik M. Medina Rodriguez of Dunkirk, were ejected from the vehicle, which came to a rest on its roof in the northbound lane of Central Avenue.

Perez-Torres was pronounced dead at the scene while Rodriguez-Montalvo was transported to Brooks Memorial Hospital where he was pronounced dead. A third victim in Perez-Torres’ vehicle was flown to UPMC Hamot in Erie, Pa.

Two victims from the other two vehicles, one of whom was the person rescued by VanDenVouver and Brown, were transported to Brooks-TLC Hospital System for evaluation and later released.