Officers, good Samaritans honored after deadly train accident
"Every time you hear the train..."
For Jeremy Lindeman, it's hard to escape the memories of September 30.
For the three men he crossed paths with that morning, the feeling is the same.
Lindeman, along with Glenn Buzzard and Leetonia Police Officers Alan Shafer and Logan Malik, are forever linked by a tragic accident, but also by their bravery and quick thinking.
"I saw the train come to a stop and thought that was weird," Lindeman said. His scanner told of the accident - a car with Sally and Ronald Davies of Greenville inside - hit by a train after they got stuck on the tracks.
Ronald survived, Sally did not.
"I knew it was going to be bad, and I knew they'd need help there," he said.
He turned around and headed to the scene, leaning on his Air Force triage and combat training.
Glenn Buzzard was headed there too, only thinking of returning the favor to the men and women who keep his hometown safe.
"Just appreciate everything that firefighters and law enforcement do in this town, so anything I could've done to help them, that's what I was there for," Buzzard said.
Officer Malik sees them both as godsends; Wednesday night, he finally got to thank them, along with the rest of the Leetonia community and Davies' family.
Officer Shafer was in Columbus at training and couldn't attend.
Each presented with a plaque and letter recognizing their heroic efforts.
"The gratitude is nice to feel, but as these guys both said, none of this was for recognition," Malik said.
The men say they are holding up well, all things considered.
"I'll never be at peace with what happened, but I've learned to accept it," Buzzard said.
Davies' family expressed their gratitude to the four men and all the other first responders.
Ronald Davies is recovering at an assisted living center.