Teen boys who discovered crash site assumed no one survived—then cries from debris helped them rescue a baby

The boys were clueless about the situation but knew they had to come forward as a source of comfort and save the baby.

PUBLISHED 2 HOURS AGO

(L) Totaled car in corner of road after accident. (Representative Cover Image Source: Getty Images| John Gollop), (R) Two teenage boys notice something serious on road. (Representative Cover Image Source: Getty Images| SHipskyy)

Even if you’re a stranger, you’d be terrified to witness a car crash or accident. 16-year-old Hunter Hasenjaeger and 17-year-old Collin Barry were also shocked to see a brutally damaged car near Ridge Road and Khater Dr in Minooka, Illinois, per WGN9. The state of the vehicle made it look like everyone inside must have tragically lost their lives, but the boys heard a frantic crying from the car. Not knowing what to expect, the duo made their way to the accident area and spotted a 1-year-old girl still alive in the vehicle. Their astute and brave response that followed helped rescue an infant.

Teenage boys walking on road and noticing something. (Representative Image Source: Getty Images| Photo by Jack F)

Hasenjaeger and Barry were on their way home around midnight when they spotted the car at the side of the road. “I just saw the car and the whole front was totaled on the driver’s side,” the 16-year-old said. They had no idea what happened, when or how it happened and who was responsible. However, when they heard a baby screaming and crying inside, they knew they had to intervene. When they approached the vehicle, they found 27-year-old Alexis Danley, who was 6 months pregnant. “She was hanging out the front of the car. Her arm was hanging out and her other hand was reaching back, grabbing the baby seat,” Barry recalled.

Close-up of damaged car part after accident showing broken metal and scratches. (Representative Image Source: Getty Images| Photo by kazakova0684)

“My heart was just racing, it was just crazy,” the young man said, per PEOPLE. “I never expected in my life that I would walk up and see the mom how she was,” he added. A report from Inside Edition revealed, “I just kept telling the mom that her baby was okay and that she was okay and that she'll be fine. She couldn't really respond but I knew she most likely heard me,” Hasenjaeger recalled. Unfortunately, the mom didn’t make it after the crash. Looking back at the baby seat, the teenagers found Danley’s 1-year-old girl crying frantically. The police had not yet arrived, but the boys knew that they couldn’t leave the girl there.

Person removing crying and distressed infant from car seat. (Representative Image Source: Getty Images| Photo by Mariakray)

They made their way inside the vehicle and brought her out. 23-year-old Jacob Kaminski was arrested for the car crash after driving under the influence of marijuana. The man reportedly also crashed into another car, but the three passengers inside were unharmed. “It makes me angry that someone would be so selfish and put other people's lives in danger,” the 16-year-old said. The man was taken to the hospital and then put into the Kendall County jail. Hasenjaeger’s heart reached out to the little girl who witnessed such a traumatic event and to her family.

Toddler in young man's arms cries frantically as he tries to calm her down. (Representative Image Source: Getty Images| Photo by aldomurillo)

It was something he never expected to witness. “I went home and just cried to my mom. I have never seen anything like that in my life,” he remarked. The teenager even visited the girl and her family after the event to share support and sympathy. “I didn’t even know her name but I felt a connection,” he said. The young man is certain that what he did was not heroic but just his duty as a fellow human being. “I think I did what any person should have done. That’s just how I was raised,” he added.