For some people the 18 year-old Hunter Hassenjaeger and the 19-year-old Collin Barry look like an average American teenagers. But for those who know their story, the two teenagers are the embodiment of kindness and courage- a modern hero!
On the month of July in the year 2017, the then 16-year-old Hunter and 17-year-old Collin, were heading home past midnight after a long day on the streets of Minooka, Illinois. What the two teenagers were not expecting was the terrifying accident scene they would see on the road while they were driving home.
The two teenagers saw a wrecked Chrysler 300 car whose driver’s side was completely totaled. Before they could even process what they saw, the distressed cries and screams of a baby echoed in their ears.
“I just saw the car and the whole front was totaled on the driver’s side,” Hunter shared in an interview. “We could hear the baby crying extremely loud and screaming.”
Thinking fast, Hunter and Collin checked out the scene and saw the unresponsive 27-year-old Alexis Danley reaching for her baby. It seemed that she was trying to save her precious baby even on her last breath.
“She was hanging out the front of the car,” Collin recalled. “Her arm was hanging out and her other hand was reached back grabbing the baby seat.”
Knowing that it would take a few minutes before help from authorities arrive, Hunter and Collin took responsibility and led the situation. The two worked together and rescued the distressed baby from the accident scene.
“I just kept telling the mom that [her] baby was okay… that she was okay.” Hunter shared how he assured the injured Alexis. “She couldn’t really respond but I knew she most likely heard me.”
“I didn’t even know her name but I felt a connection,” Hunter shared his thoughts when asked why they helped-out. “I think I did what any person should have done. That’s just how I was raised.”
Fortunately, the baby turned out to be alright. Sadly, her mother, Alexis who was also 6-months pregnant, did not survive the injuries she attained from the horrifying accident and was pronounced dead at the scene.
The driver of the vehicle was the then 23-year-old Jacob Kaminski who was arrested for driving under the influence and possession of Marijuana. As it turned out, Jacob did not only collide with Alexis’ Chrysler 300 but also struck a Toyota Camry. The three passengers of the car were unscathed by the incident.
The news about the teenagers’ admirable heroism spread like wildfire on the internet. In an interview uploaded on YouTube which earned more than 5 million views. People on the internet commended the heroic gesture of the young men.
“‘Your baby is ok’ that boy is so sweet… Reassuring the mother so she can die knowing her baby is safe.” A YouTube user said about the teenager’s kind actions.
“It’s good to see that their kind people in the world!” Another YouTube user said, happy to know that there are young men like Hunter and Collin.
“Bless that little baby girl and her mother. We need more boys like this in our generation!” Another YouTube user expressed her well-wishes on the comment section.
A recent study shows that about 1.25 million die in road accidents each year. Out of this overwhelming figure, about 44 percent of car accidents resulting in fatal injuries involved drivers who were under the influence of drugs. SHARE Hunter and Collin’s story and help spread awareness about the serious dangers of driving under the influence of alcohol and drugs.
Watch the video below and learn more about the two teenagers whose courage and kindness brought the best in them during a horrifying road accident.
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