On July 31, 2022, 33-year-old Karwan Kanan Ismael was driving on the B 2 from Heroldsberg in the direction of Erlangen. Suddenly he notices a car smoking heavily, spectacularly wedged between the crash barrier and some trees. Ismael didn’t hesitate for a second, stopped and rescued the 73-year-old driver from the completely destroyed accident car. With his courageous intervention, Ismael prevented worse things from happening and was awarded the title “Road Hero of the Month for November” by the Automobile Club of Germany (AvD).
It’s a warm Sunday, Karwan Kanan Ismael wants to visit a friend in Erlangen and is driving on the B2 federal road from his home in Heroldsberg in the direction of Eckental. Suddenly he sees a lot of smoke, which apparently comes from an accident car. The police reconstructed that the 73-year-old driver first drove to the left into the oncoming lane, got into the shoulder and after about 100 meters hit the post of a crash barrier without braking. As a result, the car overturned and got stuck upside down between the guardrail and some trees.
Karwan Ismael sees the scene, stops immediately and goes to the scene of the accident. There are already about a dozen onlookers at a safe distance from the smoking car. Ismael wants to help, but the people hold him back: “Don’t go in there,” they say. The emergency call had already been made. Ishmael sees the smoke, recognizes the danger and says, “Shall I let them die? I’m going in.”
He smashes the rear side window of the car to get inside the car. “I couldn’t breathe because the smoke was so thick.” The driver is faint and confused, with blood all over her face. He pulls her out of the car as quickly as possible and takes her to safety. The woman speaks to him and asks: “Where am I?” Her confusion slowly subsides. Then they both realize that they have known each other for years. The ambulance arrives and takes the woman to the hospital.
The next day, the rescuer receives an SMS: “Hello Karwan, my lifesaver. Thank you for saving me. I’m in the hospital now and will be out next week. Then I’ll get in touch with you.”
“I was very happy about this news. I’ve known the woman for many years, she helped in a home for asylum seekers – I’m very happy that I was able to help her now,” says Karwan Ismael, visibly touched.
A story with a nice happy ending. But this happy ending hung by a thread. “When I got to the scene of the accident, there were probably a dozen people standing around, but nobody did anything, nobody helped, everyone was afraid,” says Ismael.
The Automobile Club of Germany (AvD) named Karwan Kanan Ismael “Road Hero of the Month for November” for his extremely courageous and selfless commitment. Every month, the AvD is looking for courageous heroes who have helped other road users through their exemplary behavior. The campaign is supported by the trade journal “AUTO Verkehr”. (awm)