“The quick actions of the state troopers undoubtedly saved the lives of this family, preventing a tragic ending, giving them a chance to celebrate the upcoming New Year,” police said in a statement.
An elderly couple is lucky to be alive after their motorhome caught fire on a New York thruway just days before the new year, according to police.
Raymond J. Hanas, 82, and his partner, Patricia A. Grabley, 81, both of Lake George, NY, suffered minor injuries and smoke inhalation when their motorhome caught fire on the afternoon of Dec. 28, 2023, New York State Police said in a press release.
The couple’s 2005 Allegro Motor Home was towing a 2018 Jeep and had experienced a mechanical failure, causing it to become fully engulfed in flames more than 20 feet high in the town of Catskill, state police said.
It remains unclear what caused the fire.
Cops said that the motorhome’s location and proximity to the guard rail blocked the door to the motor home, preventing the two elderly occupants from escaping.
Authorities quickly arrived on the scene and troopers “without any regard for their own safety,” broke a window out of the door using their baton and pulled the couple and their pets to safety through the window, the Times Union reported.
After being pulled from the motorhome the couple declined further medical treatment, police said.
“The quick actions of the state troopers undoubtedly saved the lives of this family, preventing a tragic ending, giving them a chance to celebrate the upcoming New Year,” police said in a statement.
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