On March 15, 2025, at approximately 10:54 PM, Officers Wunk and Soltesz responded to a motor vehicle accident on Clinton Road. Upon arrival, the officers observed a vehicle that had left the roadway and come to rest down a steep embankment.

Demonstrating urgency and disregard for personal safety, both officers descended the embankment to assess the condition of the vehicle’s occupants. They found the driver’s side door locked, while the rear driver’s side door had been forced open due to the impact. Attempts to communicate with the vehicle’s two occupants revealed that the driver was unresponsive, and the passenger appeared disoriented and unable to follow instructions.

As the front of the vehicle caught fire, a civilian on scene, later identified as John Ward, assisted the officers in prying open the driver’s door. As flames intensified, Officer Wunk used a patrol-issued knife to cut the driver's seatbelt. Officers Wunk and Soltesz, along with Mr. Ward, successfully removed the driver and moved him to a safe distance from the burning vehicle.

Immediately afterward, the team returned to assist the disoriented passenger, extracting and relocating him to safety. Shortly after the extraction, the vehicle became fully engulfed in flames.

During the course of the rescue, Officer Soltesz sustained a hand injury that required medical attention and resulted in a leave of absence for recovery.

The decisive actions of Officers Wunk and Soltesz, along with the courageous assistance of Mr. Ward, undoubtedly prevented further injury or potential loss of life under extreme and hazardous conditions.