The kindness of strangers: The Pat Egan family reflects on fateful day

by Kelli Boylen
freelance writer

The weekend of August 26 was to be a happy one for the Egan family. It was the family’s anniversary party for Pat Sr. and Sarah that Saturday night, and Sunday evening they were going to do family pictures.
But the photos were not taken, replaced instead by an experience in the selflessness and willingness of others to help strangers in a time of need that could have been far worse if not for those selfless acts.
Sunday afternoon, at about 1 p.m., Pat Egan Jr., age 29, of Waukon, was driving his dad’s truck with his brother Dustin, 31, in the passenger seat next to him, and his dad, Pat Sr., and his brother, Lance, age 10, in the back seat. They were pulling a trailer, on their way to pick up picnic tables to return after Saturday's party.
Pat Jr. saw an oncoming vehicle cross the centerline while traveling on Highway 76 near Rossville, and he quickly realized the driver was not going to correct his course. There was no time to veer out of the way and the two trucks collided head-on.
A huge part of the reason the Egans are still alive following that initial collision that quickly turned into much worse is because of the kindness and altruism of strangers in a dangerous situation.
Justin Hager, age 20, of Waukon was returning to Waukon from Prairie du Chien, WI with his mom and stepdad, Janet and Keith Schroeder, when they came upon the accident just moments after it happened.
Justin saw someone desperately trying to get the driver’s side door of the Egan truck open (he later learned it was Dustin Egan, who had already gotten out of the truck). He ran up to see if he could help.
Justin said he could see the fire that had started underneath the truck that had struck the Egans, and he could see fluid from both vehicles running together between the two trucks.
Pat Jr. was pinned by the steering wheel, and could feel the heat. Justin did not leave Pat Jr.’s side until he left in the ambulance. Pat Jr. never lost consciousness and he asked rescuers to not worry about him and instead get his dad out.
Darryl Brink of Waukon came upon the accident as well and did all he could to help. Justin recalled that as they were trying to get the driver’s door open on the Egan truck, just minutes after the accident, he suddenly could feel the heat from the fire as well. The engine of the other truck was already engulfed.
Pat Sr. often kept a variety of things in the back of his truck and that ended up being a huge help to the situation. Pat Jr. had stated, “It’s getting hot in here! Can't you hook a chain to the back of the trailer and pull us back?”
There were logging chains in the toolbox of the Egan truck.
Walker Hovey of Decorah was another of the Good Samaritans who helped out in a massive way. He volunteered to use his truck to try to pull the Egan vehicle away from the burning truck. Initially, the chain was wrapped to the flatbed trailer to save time, but that pulled loose from the Egan truck, smacking the front of Walker’s new truck. Undaunted, he and a couple others chained up the truck itself for the successful relocation.
“If he hadn’t had a big heavy duty truck, I don’t think it would have worked,” says Justin.
There were also crowbars in the back of the Egan pick-up which the Good Samaritans tried unsuccessfully to use to open the driver’s side door with. At least four motorists who stopped tried to get Pat Jr. and Pat Sr. out of the truck, to no avail, even using a five-foot pry bar one of them found in the bed of the Egan pickup truck.
Once they realized that they were not going to get the truck door open without firefighters and their extrication equipment, Justin stayed with Pat Jr. and Darryl with Pat Sr. offering whatever comfort they could.
Darryl gave Pat Sr. the shirt off his back to help with his bleeding nose. Justin pulled off whatever plastic he could from the shredded interior of the door to give Pat Jr. every centimeter of space he could.
Even though he could feel the heat of the fire, Justin says, “I couldn’t have walked away from them even if I wanted to. No way could I leave a man in that position.”
John DeBacher and Kristen Lehker of Monona, WI were on their way to Decorah, taking their son, Jake, to Luther College, when they came upon the accident. They were among those who rushed to the Egan vehicle to try to help. Kristen was among those who went car-to-car looking for fire extinguishers, and then she and Janet Schroeder stayed with Lance.
“I’m really thankful for those who took my younger brother aside, so he didn’t have to watch what was going on,” says Dustin.
John says his wife and son both  expressed concern that he and the others were working so close to the Egan vehicle while the other was steaming, then burning adjacent. “I can recall the crackling sounds… I had been involved with a burning car as a teenager and knew that they do not blow up in a shower of shrapnel like the movies, but that the increasing heat posed a great danger for the Egans, and the thought of two people burning if I could still try to help kept me going.”
“There were so many Good Samaritans that need to be recognized; we don’t even know who they all are,” says Danielle Egan, wife of Pat Jr.
“They are God’s walking guardian angels,” she added. “Without them my husband and father-in-law would no longer be here with us today. They are truly good citizens.”
Pat Sr. added, “I’d also like to thanks the firefighters, EMTs, state troopers, county and other law enforcement, along with the hospital staff at both Waukon and Gundersen in LaCrosse.”
All three adults are continuing to recover from their injuries. All four of the Egans were wearing their seatbelts.
“It’s so comforting to know that there are people like that out there who are going to help you out,” says Danielle. “You always here the negative about everything, but these were good people who saved lives. If no one had been on that road that day they wouldn’t have made it.”
The Egans have had the chance to thank several of those who helped them face to face. Justin went to the hospital to visit the following week. “When I saw PJ (Pat Jr.) up and moving around, that was just awesome,” Justin said.
Seeing 10-year-old Lance at the hospital hit Justin hard. He had lost his own father when he was 10 years old. “I had a hard time looking him in the eye,” Justin divulged.
Ambulances from Waukon and Waterville transported those who were injured. The Waukon Fire Department was assisted by Waterville Fire and Rescue with the extrication.
Justin said he, Walker and Darryl stood off to the side after emergency personnel arrived, knowing that the State Patrol would likely want statements from them. Justin says one firefighter came up and asked who had pulled the trucks apart. He was afraid they were going to get in trouble for moving a vehicle that had been in a crash, but when Walker took a step forward, Justin and Darryl did too, figuring they would all take the “blame.”
Instead, the firefighter looked at them and said, “You boys just saved their lives.”
Pat Sr. says, “I have no doubt if they hadn’t moved us we would have burnt.”
The driver of the truck which burned was identified as Chad Hickman, 35, of McGregor.
None of the Good Samaritans mentioned in this article knew the Egans before that day. Now they are among those they will never forget.
The Egans say if there are others who assisted at the accident they hope that they come forward so they can thank them in person.

BENEFIT EVENT
A benefit event is being planned for the Egan family to help cover medical expenses and lost wages as a result of the injuries they sustained in the accident. The event will take place Sunday, November 4 at the Waukon Banquet Center, beginning at 11 a.m.
An account for donations has also been established at Waukon State Bank. Anyone wishing to donate to or assist with the benefit event is asked to contact Bobbie Cowell at 563-794-1048, Amanda McGeough at 563-419-8338 or Lori Shogren at 563-379-3671.