Tuesday, July 22, 2003
The deputies pulled two women from a burning vehicle.
By JAYME RAMSON
VINDICATOR STAFF WRITER
WARREN -- Two Trumbull County deputies were recognized Friday for their heroic rescue of victims in a May accident on Interstate 71.
Sgts. Peter Pizzulo and Anthony Leshnack were driving to pick up convicted killer Danny Lee Hill from the Mansfield Correctional Institution when they stopped to help out at the site of an accident. Hill was coming back to Trumbull County for a hearing.
State Sen. Mark Dann of Liberty, D-32nd, presenting resolutions of recognition to the deputies, said fires broke out as a result of the multivehicle crash.
"Reacting quickly and capably, the deputies rushed to a burning Ford Explorer, pried open a door and rescued two women inside before flames engulfed the vehicle," Dann said. "This is exactly what we would hope for from our law enforcement officers."
Certificates
Both were also presented with certificates of recognition by Capt. William Costas of the Ohio State Highway Patrol and special recognition from the Trumbull County Sheriff's Department.
"I think they acted as heroes and I'm very proud of them," Sheriff Thomas Altiere said. "They're good deputies and they're dedicated 100 percent to their jobs and this shows it."
The deputies were modest about their actions.
"When that [accident] occurred, I think we acted as anyone in our profession would have reacted," Pizzulo said. "Given the circumstances, we were glad to be able to do what we did. If we had not acted, we don't know what the outcome would have been or if there would have been a fatality or not. It was somewhat of a reactionary thing on our parts."