A gas station worker is being called a hero after rescuing an elderly woman from a burning car in Waterbury.
Cecilia Forget was driving with her 87-year-old mother Sunday, when she heard a strange noise coming from underneath the car.
She pulled up to pump number four at the Mobil at 570 Meriden Road in Waterbury to check it out. That's when the fire broke out, sparked by paper and plastic that was caught underneath.
"I started walking away and I heard people screaming that there was a fire under my car," said Forget. "My mom was inside the car. She froze. She wouldn't even move."
Anne Marie Adam was working inside. She turned off the pumps and called 911.
"She was waving and when I looked there were flames on the ground like coming out of her car," said Adam.
As customers ran away, another worker, Edmond Laho, rushed outside and helped get Forget's 87-year-old mother out of the car. Then he grabbed a fire extinguisher.
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"I started to put the fire down and I laid down under the car and I put some the fire down," said Laho.
Then, with the car smoking, he jumped inside and moved the vehicle away from the pumps to prevent an explosion.
"My life flashed in front of my eyes. It was very scary," said Adam.
Forget returned to the gas station in her Chevy to thank the workers. Amazingly, there was little damage to the car.
"If it wasn't for him I don't even know what would happen. That's all I could say. He's my hero," said Forget.
Laho says he doesn't consider himself a hero. Instead, he says he's just happy to help people in need.
"I don't care for my life, only to do something to help people," said Laho.
"It could have been very tragic," said Forget.
