WMTV – NBC15 Madison, Wisconsin:
Two people might have perished in a fiery car accident, had an experienced group of rescuers not happened upon the scene of the crash along Interstate 90 in Wisconsin at precisely the right time.
An off-duty state trooper decided to leave a hunting trip to the northern part of the state two hours early. He helped smash windows and a windshield in the inverted car burning on the median and pull the two victims to safety. Their names have not been released.
Just after the trooper, Phil Witkewicz, had pulled them to safety, two firefighters returning from a conference stopped at the scene. Knowing trucks carried fire extinguishers, they flagged down semis and used the extinguishers to halt the car’s flames and a brush fire on the media, according to WMTV reports. At the same time, a nurse stopped and helped Witkewicz administer aid to the victims until an ambulance arrived.
The accident occurred Sunday along a stretch of interstate between New Lisbon and Mauston.
“You put a bunch of strangers together from pretty much everywhere in the state … just coming together going, ‘Hey, we need to help these people,'” Collin Carriere, one of the firefighters, told the television station. “Knowing that the car was on fire and the fuel source was on the median, the dry grass and stuff, it could have been a lot worse.”
Featured Gallery
It may seem odd, but Halloween is becoming one of the most dangerous days on the roads. Accidents caused by drinking and driving around the holiday are up, and a new study by State Farm andSperling’s Best Places shows the day is deadliest for child pedestrians.
Drunk driving accidents are the biggest concern for families who may be driving their tots around after a fun evening of trick-or-treating. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration says 40% of all car accident fatalities on Halloween are caused by drunk drivers.
So we here at AOL Autos thought it was time to take a look at the safest cars you can carry your family in — theminivan. The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety tested each of these cars for their performance in high-speed frontal and side crash tests, a rollover test and evaluations of seat and head restraints for neck injuries in rear impact crashes.
MSRP: $27,020 – $44,280
Invoice: $25,912 – $42,465
Fuel Economy: 17 mpg City, 25 mpg Highway
TheVW Routan has gotten the IIHS’s highest rating in every category in every test conducted on the car since 2009.
Besides being structurally sound, the minivan also comes with a number of features that help keep occupants safe. It comes with stability control and traction control, both which keep the car well-grounded and prevent it from tipping over. It has front, rear and third row head airbags, and a tire pressure monitoring system that helps drivers know when their tires might need air.
The VW Routan is essentially a re-badged, slightly tinkered Chrysler Town and Country. Given the popularity of those minivans, you’d think the Routan would be faring better in the marketplace. But the car just hasn’t caught on. VW doesn’t market it much either, so awareness of the VW is low.
Research the Volkswagen Routan
Volkswagen Routan Photos & Information
Volkswagen Routan Best Deals
Volkswagen Routan Local Dealer Price Quote
MSRP: $26,435 – $41,325
Invoice: $24,453 – $38,020
Fuel Economy: 18 mpg City, 25 mpg Highway
Since 1998, theToyota Sienna has received top scores on all of the IIHS crash tests except once. For 2005 models that didn’t have optional side airbags, the minivan only got an “acceptable” rating, instead of a good rating.
But it’s still a very safe car. All of the trim levels come with side curtain airbags for all three rows, which ensures that, in the event of a rollover accident all occupants will stay inside the car. That’s a plus, because being thrown from a car during a violent crash is one of the leading causes of death (although people will sometimes anecdotally bring up cases where someone was thrown from a car and survived, it is generally something you don’t want to have happen.)
Higher trim levels offer more safety features, like a pre-collision protection system and rear-view cameras for backing up.
MSRP: $28,575 – $43,925
Invoice: $26,138 – $40,139
Fuel Economy: 18 mpg City, 27 mpg Highway
Honda was one of the first automakers to realize drivers with families were very interested in having safe cars. So they started putting as many safety features on their vehicles as standard equipment – meaning buyers wouldn’t have to pay more – as they possibly could. That move has resulted in a well-earned reputation for safety.
TheOdyssey is one of the IIHS top picks for minivans. Additionally, 2011 model year Odysseys and younger are the only minivans to get a 5-star overall rating from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
Research the Honda Odyssey
Honda Odyssey Photos & Information
Honda Odyssey Best Deals
Honda Odyssey Local Dealer Price Quote
MSRP: $19,995 – $29,995
Invoice: $19,745 – $28,545
Fuel Economy: 17 mpg City, 25 mpg Highway
One of the most popular minivans around, theGrand Caravan is also one of the safest. Chrysler, Dodge’s parent company, invented the minivan back in 1984. The cars were easy to see out of, held a lot of stuff and passengers, and were easy for children to get in and out of.
The Grand Caravan, and its sister car the Chrysler Town& Country, have advanced safety features beyond visibility issues.
Research the Dodge Grand Caravan
Dodge Grand Caravan Photos & Information
Dodge Grand Caravan Best Deals
Dodge Grand Caravan Local Dealer Price Quote
MSRP: $29,995 – $39,995
Invoice: $28,735 – $37,935
Fuel Economy: 17 mpg City, 25 mpg Highway
The almost twin minivans from Dodge and Chrysler offer seven airbags and employ 8 different crush zones to keep occupants safe in the event of a crash.
The minivans also offer electronic stability control and other accident avoidant measures, because the best defense against fatal crashes is to never crash in the first place.
Research the Chrysler Town & Country
Chrysler Town & Country Photos & Information
Chrysler Town & Country Best Deals
Chrysler Town & Country Local Dealer Price Quote