A Gurnee police officer is set to receive a Life Saving Award for her actions this month when she rushed into harm’s way to pull a driver from a burning SUV that moments earlier had rear-ended her patrol vehicle.
The dramatic rescue was captured on video by the body camera worn that night by Officer Kassandra Canadzic, who said she appreciates the upcoming recognition but shrugs off her heroism as just another day on the job.
“We’re all out here doing these things every day,” she said.
Canadzic was parked near the intersection of routes 41 and 120 before 11 p.m. Nov. 9 when the small SUV with a suspected drunk driver behind the wheel slammed into the back of her squad car.
“At first it was a little disorienting, but when I got out of my vehicle I saw that the car that had hit me was on fire,” she said.
Canadzic rushed to the driver’s-side door and attempted to pull out the female driver, but the deployed air bag prevented the officer from reaching the driver’s seat belt to unbuckle it. As two back seat passengers escaped on their own, Canadzic sprinted to the passenger-side front door to unbuckle the safety belt.
As the fire intensified, the officer returned to the driver’s door and pulled the woman out. A passerby came over to help, and together they dragged the semiconscious woman to safety.
For more on this story go to Dailyherald.com.
