Leads

Summary Lead:
Early today an elderly man was rescued by the efforts of two locals, after his stalled car was cleared from the train tracks just 30 seconds before it would have been hit by an oncoming train.

The driver, 80-year-old Francis Truffaut a visiting tourist from Quebec City, Canada, was uninjured. He went into insulin shock while approaching the railroad crossing, causing his unconsciousness says a hospital official.

A local, James Laboke 17, came across Truffaut on his way to work. Approaching the car he Laboke saw Truffaut slumped over the steering wheel. After no responce to Labokes pounding on the window he went straight to the police station knowing the train would be coming any minute.

Upon arrival to the scene Capt. Janet Paradiso had to act fast. "I knew there was no time. I had to do something." she said. The train whistle sounded and it was then she shifted her car in gear and drove right into the back of Truffaut's car, pushing it off the tracks with seconds to spare.

When later asked about his actions Laboke simply said, "I never thought about it. I just knew I couldn't let that man get crushed by a train."



Nut graph/Delayed lead:
Captain Janet Paradiso knew she had little time arriving at the scene. The car stretched out across the train tracks running, and still with someone inside. The train whistle sounded and it was then she shifted her car in gear and drove right into the back of the 1987 Cadillac, pushing it off the tracks with seconds to spare.
As James Laboke made his 4 mile walk to work early this morning, he came across something he didn’t see every day. In the middle of the Downeaster train tracks lay a parked car still running. As he got closer he noticed a man slumped over the steering wheel. Franticly he began pounding on the window, knowing it was a matter of minutes until the train was about to come.