Lisle police officers honored for saving injured driver after gruesome crash

Lisle police officer Patrick Mahoney says it was one of the worst crashes he's ever seen.

Around 1:40 p.m. on May 15, a westbound Nissan Rogue driven by a 74-year-old man crossed the centerline and crashed head-on into an Acura on the 900 block of Ogden Avenue. The driver - and lone occupant - of the Nissan died.

The two people in the Acura - a husband and wife from Lisle - were injured.

When police arrived moments later, witnesses were helping the wife on the side of the road. But her husband, who suffered a severe leg injury, was bleeding profusely in the driver's seat of their wrecked car.

The actions Mahoney and fellow police officer Dean Anders took to stop the man's bleeding recently earned them awards from the village.

"Officers Anders' and Mahoney's efforts to treat the victims of this tragic accident demonstrate their ability to serve the community by performing critical lifesaving duties under stressful circumstances," police Chief David Anderson said.

"At the time, I couldn't even tell what kind of cars they were because there was so much damage," Mahoney said.

When an eyewitness started yelling that the driver in the Acura needed a tourniquet, Mahoney rushed to the car.

Anders reached the vehicle first and applied a tourniquet to the victim's injured right leg. But it wasn't enough to stop the bleeding.

So Mahoney got an emergency bandage from his squad car and applied it to the injury.

"I was yelling for more because it wasn't stopping the bleeding," Mahoney said. "I applied at least two, possibly three from other officers that were arriving on the scene."

After the bleeding was stopped, the victim and his wife, Wayne and Kathleen Macewich, were taken to Advocate Good Samaritan Hospital in Downers Grove.

Anders said he and Mahoney were able to help Wayne Macewich because of their training.

"Lisle police officers receive scenario-based training, which includes the application of tourniquets and compression bandages," Anders said. "This type of training prepares first responding officers to effectively take action during emergency situations."

Mahoney and Anders received their awards during a village board meeting.

A department commendation also was given to Sgt. Rob Sommer, another first responder to the crash. Sommer was recognized for assistance he provided to the injured and their families during the follow-up investigation, officials said.

Wayne and Kathleen Macewich were on hand to watch the ceremony.

"It was an honor to be recognized for this incident," Anders said, "and the awards ceremony was even more meaningful by having the driver who I helped and his wife present that evening."