Deputies Honored in Resident’s Rescue
A resident who fell asleep with his foot on the gas pedal of his parked car is alive today because of the quick actions of three men, including two Orange County sheriff’s deputies, Joseph McClintock and Dominic Montabano.
Officials honored the deputies and Matthew Johnson, who pitched in to help, with proclamations at a recent San Clemente City Council meeting.
Montabano still recalls finding the 34-year-old man, whose name was not released, unconscious in the driver’s seat of his car at 3 a.m. Jan. 11. It was engulfed in flames in a parking lot at Avenida Granada and El Camino Real. Two of the car’s tires blew up and another car also caught fire.
Deputy Montabano kicked in the passenger’s side window, but was unable to pull the man from the car because he was wearing a seat belt. He unlocked the driver’s side door. Then McClintock and Johnson pulled the man to safety.
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