3 honored for saving drivers in McHenry and Kane counties
What do Matt Bonnie, Daniel Hibbeler and Randall Ho have in common?
Besides being suburban men, each was recently recognized for saving a motorist in need.
Last week, Hibbeler and Ho were the recipients of the Citizen’s Lifesaving Award, which is the highest honor that the McHenry County Sheriff’s Office can bestow upon a civilian.
Last April, Hibbeler, an off-duty McHenry County Conservation Police Officer, and Ho rescued a woman in Woodstock whose car struck a school bus and caught fire with her trapped inside.
Bonnie, an Aurora police officer, recently received the Louis Spuhler Award as the Kane County Officer of the Year. Bonnie, who was off-duty at the time, rescued a man whose car was on fire after a crash in June 2012.
But back to Hibbeler and Ho. At about 6:53 a.m. April 10, Deborah Furstenau was driving east on Route 14 in Woodstock when she lost control of her 1997 Plymouth Breeze and crashed into a school bus.
Hibbeler was on his way to work when he stopped to help. Ho, who lives near the crash site, heard what was happening and ran outside to help.
The pair pried open Furstenau’s jammed door and pulled her out of the car just minutes before it became fully engulfed in flames.
Their actions earned them the award, which was last issued by the McHenry County Sheriff’s Office in July 2011.
As for Bonnie ... on June 8, 2012, other drivers tried to help the man, who had crashed off Minkler Road in Oswego. They could not get the man through the front door, so Bonnie worked to pull the man through the car’s rear passenger door.
In the nomination letter to Batavia Moose Lodge 682, Aurora Police Chief Greg Thomas noted that Bonnie had not even told anyone at the police department about the rescue after it happened.
Ask A Lawyer Day: The Kane County Bar Association will host its next Ask A Lawyer Day from 9 a.m. to noon Saturday.
People can call (630) 762-1900 for a free consultation with a volunteer attorney on a range of matters from divorce and child support to traffic and bankruptcy.
Do not leave a message since attorneys can’t access the voice mail system.
FBI warns of scam: The FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center is warning residents that some criminals are now using photosharing sites to infect people’s computers with malware and viruses.
One typical example is someone posting an ad online to sell something. Instead of including pictures, the seller asks for the buyer to send an email. The “link” in the return email might contain the malware or direct the buyer to a bogus website that looks just like the original website of where the ad was posted in the first place.
For more information on avoiding scams, visit ic3.gov.