MINEOLA, N.Y – An off-duty police officer and her husband, a volunteer fire chief, rescued a disabled woman from her stalled car seconds before a train smashed into it, police said.
The 63-year-old driver, who was upset the couple forgot to grab her pocketbook during the last-second rescue, apparently mistook the Long Island Rail Road tracks for a road, authorities said.
Her car, which had a license plate that denote a disabled driver, got stuck on the rails Thursday evening with a train fast approaching. She screamed that she couldn't get out of the car and needed help, witness Jennifer Freiermuth, 28, said.
Randi LoCicero, off duty from her job at the New York Police Department, and Anthony LoCicero ran to the car as the crossing gates came down, Randi LoCicero said. As the train's horn blared, the couple yanked open the door and pulled out the driver, who needed crutches to walk, Randi LoCicero said.
"She was a little mad we didn't get her pocketbook, but you know, that's life," she said. The driver wasn't identified.
Instants later, a train plowed into the car, overturning it and dragging it a short distance. Neither the woman nor anyone on the train was hurt, authorities said.
Randi LoCicero, 34, has been a New York police officer for nearly 10 years, the NYPD said. Her husband, 33, is a chief in the volunteer fire department in Franklin Square, on Long Island.
"We are very grateful for the quick thinking and fast actions of these two heroes," LIRR spokeswoman Susan McGowan said.
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