Suburban Heroes: Woman rescues driver who crashed outside her St. Charles office

Kate Dzierzanowski remembers feeling stressed the day her employers hosted a CPR certification session in the middle of a busy work day. There's so much to do, she thought. What are the chances she'll ever need that training?

Little did Dzierzanowski know that learning those skills would help her save a man's life.

It was nearing the end of the work day on Nov. 6 when Dzierzanowski heard a loud noise outside her St. Charles office.

When she opened the door, she saw a light pole knocked to the ground and a car smashed against the guardrail near Randall Road and Dean Street.

After screaming at her co-worker to call 911, Dzierzanowski ran to the vehicle and tried waking the unconscious driver, who didn't have a pulse.

With the help of two bystanders, she pulled him out of the car and onto the pavement.

That's when her CPR training kicked in.

Dzierzanowski can envision her hands pushing down on the man's chest in steady, rhythmic compressions. She remembers watching his lips move and hearing someone yell, "He's breathing." Everything else was a blur.

She performed CPR until paramedics arrived and took the man to the hospital. By the time he got there, he had a strong heartbeat and was breathing on his own, St. Charles Fire Chief Joe Schelstreet said.

"It is truly notable to have the training and to utilize the training in an area that poses a real risk to your safety," he said. "This is a true story of heroism."

Dzierzanowski, of West Chicago, received a call later that night from a police officer who told her the man was going to survive thanks to her quick thinking and selflessness. She heard from his friends and family members who wanted to express their gratitude.

But the magnitude of her actions didn't sink in until the man, a retired East Dundee police officer, walked into her office two weeks later to thank her. They still keep in touch.

Dzierzanowski was honored for her bravery during a city council meeting in December, as was Dr. Mark Gibson, who was at the scene and rode with the man to the hospital.

She was also nominated by the man's sister for a Good Samaritan Hero award, which is given out by the American Red Cross of Chicago and Northern Illinois. She will be honored during a Heroes Breakfast in May.

"I think anybody would've done what I did. I just happened to be the first person there," Dzierzanowski said. "There was zero thought involved. It was just instinct. It's what you do."

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