(FURTHER UPDATE) Fiery Crash Injures Wayne City Man

A fiery crash injured a Wayne City man late Monday night in Effingham County.

State police say a pickup truck driven by 33-year-old Trent Taylor was traveling on the Altamont Blacktop, just south of County Road 700 North, about two miles south of Altamont just after 11:30pm. Taylor's vehicle ran off the right side of the roadway and struck a culvert. The unit went airborne and landed on its top, then came to rest on its wheels, and then caught fire. The vehicle became fully engulfed in flames.

Altamont Fire Chief Jon Becker said Effingham County Sheriff's Deputy Darren Feldkamp, who was off-duty and fellow Altamont school board member Jim Holland came upon the crash scene on their way home from a school board meeting and began efforts to use a bucket to draw water from the ditch in an effort to knock down the flames. Becker said Altamont police officers Doug Holman and Cody Collins also responded and assisted as did Effingham County sheriff's deputies Rob Rich and Brandon Murray until Altamont firefighters reached the scene.

Feldkamp Tuesday said he and Holland were southbound on the blacktop and nearing Red Barn Corner when he spotted the flames. He thought it might be a garage at the neighbors, since he lives near the scene of the incident, but as he approached, he saw it was a vehicle. Feldkamp got out while Holland drove around and parked in front of the vehicle and hit his emergency flashers. Feldkamp said the fire started on the underside of the truck but gradually spread to the cab of the vehicle. Feldkamp tried to get the truck door open, but couldn't due to damage from the crash. Taylor had the driver's door window open and was slumped over onto the door. Feldkamp said he noticed a cold sensation on his legs and realized he was standing in ditch water. He looked in the bed of Taylor's truck and found a bucket. He and Holland began a bucket brigade to keep pouring the water from the ditch on the fire and on Taylor to keep away the fire. When they ran out of water in the ditch, they began using the slimy mud from the ditch and coated Taylor with the mud.

Feldkamp said Taylor never lost consciousness and stayed calm, talking with his rescuers the whole time, asking, "Just don't let me burn." 

Becker said while efforts were going on to knock the fire down, others worked to extricate Taylor from his vehicle. Air Evac was called to the scene to take Taylor to Memorial Medical Center in Springfield, where he is listed in critical condition.

The crash remains under investigation.