LI Firefighter Honored For Saving 2 Lives During Fiery Crash

LONG ISLAND, NY - A Deer Park volunteer firefighter was recently honored for saving two people involved in a fiery crash while off-duty last year.

Last month, Bradley Tatarian was among over a dozen Suffolk firefighters to be recognized by the Vocational Education and Extension Board of Suffolk County in Brookhaven.

Tatarian, who worked for the department for 12 years and a Lieutenant for two years, recalled the night of the crash on Dec. 2017.

"The night of the accident was really sheer luck and perfect example of being at the right place at the right time," he told Patch.

Tatarian was on my way home from my work Christmas party when the driver who caused the crash almost ran him off the road. He then passed Tatarian at what he guessed was "an excess of 80 mph" on Hempstead Turnpike in Levittown.

He then tried to follow the driver to call 911 and report him, but within seconds he was out of sight so he just continued on my way home.

Eventually, Tatarian came across the crash, first spotting the car that passed him which had hit a tree. He then noticed the other car involved, which was on its roof and has burst into flames.

He pulled up and encountered the two bystandars, NYPD officer Joe Howard and his friend Shane Bula who was readying to start the NYPD academy.

"I asked if everyone was out of the car, and they immediately said no, that a driver and the passenger were both still inside, and unconscious," he described. "To be honest, I cant even tell you what was going through my head. It all happened so fast."

Tatarian then said his instincts and training over the last 12 years kicked in and took over. He first went to the drivers side and noticed that the side airbag was still deployed, making it difficult to get the driver out.

So he went back to my car to grab a razor blade, returned to the car, popped the air bag and cut the seat belt and pulled the driver out. While Howard pulled the driver to safety, Bula and Tatarian went to the passenger side of the vehicle.

"At this time, the entire under carriage of the truck was on fire and the fire was starting to come through the firewall into the passenger compartment," he said. The woman in the passenger's seat was a bit tangled in her seat belt so i had to cut it in two or three places.

Once she was loose, all three started to pull her out.

"As we carried her away, we got no more than 20 feet away when one of the tires exploded from the heat. At this time, the gas tank too had already ruptured so when the tire blew, it caused all the gasoline that was leaking to subsequently catch fire, and the entire car went up in flames," Tatarian recalled.

The man and woman were then taken to the hospital where they were both treated and made full recoveries.

"I had no idea the extent of their injuries, but knowing that no one was in that car as we watched it fully engulfed in flames was a feeling I will never forget," Tatarian said.

According to Tatarian, his heroic actions didn't really hit him until the next day.

"I'm a driver for UPS, and the next day i was delivering in Levittown and it was snowing. As I passed that intersection, seeing the spot where their truck was, you could see where the asphalt had melted from the fire," he said. "The snow was sticking everywhere, except that spot, and that's when it all hit. I've been trained over the years by some of the best firemen in Suffolk County, many of them high ranking officers in FDNY. And to me, this all is a true testament to the time and effort us volunteers put into our training. Without those who helped me, this rescue may not have been possible."

While Tatarian was honored by the recognition when he received the medal, he said that's not why he helped the couple.

"It's always nice to get recognized for our actions. But at the end of the day, its not about the medals, or the pins. This is what we train for," he said. "Paid or volunteer, this is what we do, no matter where we are. While it was certainly an extraordinary situation, its what we train for."

He also credited both Bula and Howard for their help.

"It was a team effort. Without Joe and Shane there, I'm not sure if any of this would have been possible," he said.

Tatarian visited both of the man and woman involved in the crash in the hospital and says they have become great friends since then.

Photos courtesy of Bradley Tatarian