Source: The Republican (Springfield, MA)
Author: NANCY H. GONTER; [email protected]
GOSHEN, MA – When they first met, Nicholas M. Denno was pulling Shannon M. Phelps out of a burning car.
Yesterday, Phelps, 21, a University of Massachusetts senior from Springfield, got the chance to thank Denno, the man she believes saved her life and the life of her passenger, Lena H. Padilla.
“I’m still getting over the shock. I haven’t gotten over the whole thing,” Phelps told Denno.
It was just after 6 a.m. on Dec. 2 when Phelps, on Route 9 in Goshenon her way to a nursing assignment in Pittsfield, drove over some hay that had fallen off a pickup truck.
Unaware that the hay had started on fire, Phelps kept driving. Denno, who lives on Ashfield Road in Williamsburg, was bringing his dogs to day care in Goshen.
When he saw the flames, he began flashing his overhead lights and spotlights to get Phelps’ attention, but Phelps didn’t stop because she wasn’t sure why he was signaling her.
“She probably thought I was some kind of maniac,” Denno said.
Finally, the flashing lights drew Phelps’ attention to the smoke and she pulled over. In a flash, Denno was helping her and Padilla out of the car. Almost instantly afterward, the car was engulfed in flames.
“There were pretty good size flames coming out from her front wheel well,” Denno said.
Denno left the firescene before Phelps had a chance to thank him or learn his name. After The Republican ran a story about her desire to meet him, he contacted the newspaper.
Yesterday, Denno, who owns Custom Landscaping and Paving Co. in the Florence section of Northampton, said he was honored that his effort was being appreciated.
“It’s kind of flattering that they actually really appreciated it that much. I kind of hope someone would pull me over if my car was on fire,” Denno said.
Both his father, Michael Denno, and his fiancee, Kellie E. Card, said he is just the type of person to help out someone in need.
“If you know Nick, he’s always been like that. When he was 9, it was like he was 40. He’s a 21-year-old that owns his own business. If he were a dog, everyone would want to own 10 of him,” Michael Denno said.
Christine Phelps, Shannon’s mother, called Denno to thank him.
“It seemed like it was nothing to him what he had done. I said, ‘No, you really don’t know. This is my daughter’s life you saved,'” she said.
Michael Denno said he knows how she feels.
“As a parent, I’m so happy Nick was there,” he said.