Chad Tinkel had left work, but that didn’t stop his instinctual commitment to safety that led to his earning an AEP Lifesaving Award.

Chad, I&M’s Forestry Supervisor, was returning home from work one evening late in 2019. While he was stopped at a traffic signal, he witnessed a car traveling west on Coliseum Boulevard in Fort Wayne run a red light.  The car hit an SUV broadside that was turning left, causing the SUV to roll over and catch fire.

Chad immediately put his own vehicle in Park, turned on his emergency flashers and hurried to the burning SUV, which held a couple and their three children. Chad kicked out the back window and helped the children out of the SUV. Chad took the children away from the car onto the grass. He returned to the SUV to help the man in the vehicle, who was cut up badly, and helped his wife out of the SUV. Chad then showed the injured man that the children were safe and encouraged him to sit down and wait for medics and emergency personnel.

“Chad’s alertness, instinct and his commitment to safety enabled him to respond to the accident and help the passengers who were potentially in danger,” said Marc Labrie, Regional Support Manager. “Equally important, Chad took the necessary measures to make sure the rescue was safe. The Lifesaving Award was well-deserved.”