Teen Rescued from Burning Car on I-80 Wednesday Morning

The 18-year-old driver who smashed his car into a guardrail at 2 a.m. Wednesday on Interstate 80 eastbound near the I-57 merge was trying to avoid a coyote on the highway.

Instead of hitting the coyote, he went off the road, struck a guardrail and his car caught fire in the grassy area by the side of the highway. Trapped inside, James Richmond was frantic as the compartment of his Chevy Cruze filled with smoke.

Then, two Cook County deputies came to his rescue.

Officer William Hoefler, an 11-year-veteran, and probationary officer Viktor Yatsik, a rookie, pulled Richmond to safety. The doors wouldn’t open, so they broke a window and helped Richmond out. He was treated at Advocate South Suburban Hospital in Hazel Crest and released.

“We were just in the right place at the right time,” Hoefler told the Chicago Tribune. “We’re just happy he’s good to go.”