A quick-thinking bystander saved a porch and maybe more after a man in his 90s drove his car into a 200-year-old Southbury home Friday morning and the vehicle burst into flames.
Robert Isbell was working across the street on Route 67/Southbury Road at the time of the collision. He said airbags saved the elderly man, who was taken to the hospital for treatment of minor injuries.
Police said the driver, who has not been publicly identified, suffered a medical condition and veered into oncoming traffic on Southbury Road.
The car struck a stonewall and crashed into the porch at 1228 Southbury Road, a home that was built in 1800.
Isbell spotted the flames and jumped into action. He grabbed a fire extinguisher from his shop across the street and doused the flames.
No one was home at the time of the crash, but resident Jack Beardsley hurried back to Southbury after he was alerted of the damage. The home is still livable, and Beardsley said his son is a general contractor who can repair the porch.
Beardsley said he's grateful to Isbell for helping to salvage the home.
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"I don't know who he is, but I really appreciate the help," Beardsley said. "He might have saved the house from burning down, you know? That's fantastic. It's nice to have people like that around."
