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1
HOUSE RESOLUTION

 
2    WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois House of
3Representatives wish to congratulate Mr. Eduardo Suarez, Ms.
4Monica DeNaut, Western Springs Police Department Sergeant John
5Piest, and Western Springs Police Department Officer Ryan
6Postal for their acts of heroism under adverse conditions in
7order to save a life, with full knowledge of the risk involved;
8and
 
9    WHEREAS, On December 22, 2014 at 5:17 P.M., the Western
10Springs Police Department received a 911 call regarding a
11vehicle that was stuck on the Burlington Northern Santa Fe
12railroad tracks after the woman driving turned onto them while
13driving south on Wolf Road; and
 
14    WHEREAS, Mr. Eduardo Suarez, a Western Springs resident,
15watched as the disoriented woman drove onto the tracks; he
16could see the light of an approaching train, so he raced to the
17side of the woman's car to help; and
 
18    WHEREAS, The woman on the tracks told Mr. Eduardo Suarez
19that she could not walk without her walker; he immediately
20pulled the woman from the vehicle and began dragging her off
21the tracks; and
 

 

 

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1    WHEREAS, Ms. Monica DeNaut was passing by the scene after
2picking up her toddlers from day care; she called 911 and then
3ran to help Mr. Eduardo Suarez pull the driver to safety; and
 
4    WHEREAS, Officer Ryan Postal and Sergeant John Piest
5quickly responded to the scene; when they arrived, Sergeant
6John Piest called for all railroad traffic to be stopped and
7Officer Ryan Postal retrieved a blanket from his squad car and
8placed it over the driver just as a westbound train was
9approaching their location at a high rate of speed; the
10officers placed themselves between the tracks and the driver in
11order to shield her from flying debris; and
 
12    WHEREAS, Sergeant John Piest called Metra to try to stop
13the train, but the train still hit the driver's side door of
14the car at approximately 5:20 P.M. before it stopped; and
 
15    WHEREAS, The driver was then transported to the hospital as
16a precaution and the 4 heroes were not injured; and
 
17    WHEREAS, Awards have been presented to all 4 citizens for
18their courageous actions; the Lifesaving Award was presented to
19both Mr. Eduardo Suarez and Ms. Monica DeNaut and the Medal of
20Valor was presented to Sergeant John Piest and Officer Ryan
21Postal; therefore, be it
 

 

 

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1    RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE
2NINETY-NINTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we
3commend and applaud the swift action of Mr. Eduardo Suarez and
4Ms. Monica DeNaut, who acted without hesitation and with
5disregard for their own personal safety, and the great bravery
6of Sergeant John Piest and Officer Ryan Postal, who operated
7with the full knowledge of the risk involved to their personal
8safety; and be it further
 
9    RESOLVED, That suitable copies of this resolution be
10presented to Mr. Eduardo Suarez, Ms. Monica DeNaut, Sergeant
11John Piest, and Officer Ryan Postal.