Story posted Friday, January 9, 2009
Hero Rescues Driver On Tracks
Joe Pepsnik risked his life last month to save a man who had driven onto the railroad tracks.
By CRAIG ADAMS Journal & Topics Reporter
A former Des Plaines resident risked his own life while saving a Des Plaines man who had driven onto the railroad tracks.
Joe Pepsnik was driving on River Road at about 5:30 p.m. on Monday, Dec. 22. "I was on my way to my mom's for dinner," he explained. As he crossed Miner Street, he noticed something peculiar. "I saw a vehicle stranded about 20 to 30 feet down the railroad tracks."
Robert W. Kuhn, 61, of 429 Western Ave. #10, had apparently turned from Ellinwood Street onto River, then onto the tracks, continuing on the tracks until he became stuck. Pepsnik deduced Kuhn's path from the tracks his SUV made in the snow. "He must have just drove onto the tracks," he said.
Pepsnik jumped out of his pickup truck and ran down to Kuhn's vehicle that was stuck with the wheels spinning. Kuhn was slumped over the wheel, Pepsnik said. "I opened the door and told him he was on the tracks," he explained. "He had no idea what was happening."
With Kuhn unresponsive, Pepsnik looked east, towards the city, and saw the headlight of an approaching train. "I saw the light way down there," he said. "I didn't know if the express trains were coming or what."
Pepsnik pulled Kuhn from his vehicle. "He fell down on the ground," he explained, citing a weight difference between the two men. "I dragged him through the snow and over the tracks."
After Pepsnik pulled the man to safety, he returned to Kuhn's SUV; another driver got out of his car to assist. "Nobody came when I was dragging him," Pepsnik laughed.
He had a tow chain in his pickup truck, hooked them to Kuhn's SUV, and pulled the vehicle off the railroad tracks. "It was probably less than a minute. The gates were coming down as I was pulling it off," he said. He ran back across the tracks to stay with Kuhn as the train pulled through the intersection. "It all happened in about a minute or two," he said.
Thinking back on his actions, Pepsnik realized one mistake he made. While he kept checking for trains coming from the city, he never looked west to see if there were any incoming trains. Asked if he thought about his personal safety during the rescue, he answered, "I really wasn't until afterwards, then I was like, holy cow," he said.
Even as police officers arrived on the scene, Pepsnik was still involved. "I was directing traffic," he said. "I got to move a police vehicle." He added that an officer was injured in a fall during the incident and was taken from the scene in an ambulance. Police reports said the officer was injured while struggling with Kuhn.
The publicity from his actions caused a stir with his family. Right after saving Kuhn, Pepsnik said, "I called my wife and told her I was going to be late. I told her there was a guy stuck on the tracks and I was helping him out," he explained. After seeing reports of his exploits, "All the people were like, 'Oh my God!'" he said.
Pepsnik grew up in Des Plaines and now lives with his wife and two children in Bartlett. He is a security and building materials consultant for American Building Services in Wheeling. Pepsnik said he's tried to visit Kuhn in the hospital, but was unable to find out about his condition. Kuhn was still listed in fair condition as of Wednesday, Jan. 7 at Lutheran General Hospital in Park Ridge.
Police charged Kuhn with driving while under the influence of alcohol and driving off the roadway. Pepsnik said he was told Kuhn is a retired Park Ridge police officer, a statement confirmed by a city official.