Six Firefighters Earn Medals for Complex Truck Rescue at Corlears Hook Park

Manhattan’s Ladder Company 18 was honored with the World Trade Center Memorial Medal at the FDNY Medal Day Ceremony in City Hall Park on Tuesday, June 4. The medal, recognizing “extraordinary bravery and dedication,” was awarded for a highly technical and challenging auto extrication they performed on July 4, 2024.

“When we got dispatched, it came in as multiple people hit by an auto, with children involved,” said Captain Bryan M. Scimeme, who led the rescue. “We got there and you could see this truck just barreled through a 30-foot park fence on top of where a family was celebrating. Shoes, scooters, and kids’ clothes everywhere—it was just a mess.”

The driver of the truck, Daniel Hyden, was later indicted on charges including second-degree murder and aggravated vehicular homicide after four people died from injuries suffered when his vehicle, driven at high speed down Water Street, barreled into Corlears Hook Park and came to rest atop bleachers next to a baseball field. According to prosecutors, Hyden was allegedly driving intoxicated at speeds reaching 54 mph before crashing into the crowd. Witnesses stopped him from fleeing the scene.

When the team led by Captain Scimeme arrived, bystanders directed the company to a gray pickup truck wedged between the park fence and bleachers. Scimeme immediately identified three victims pinned under the truck.

The rescue was complicated by the truck’s wedged position. “We couldn’t move the bleachers, we couldn’t move the fence, so we were very limited and had to work around it,” Scimeme said. Crews used high-pressure airbags to carefully lift the truck. “If you put these airbags in a bad spot and you lift, now you’re blocking the way you’re going to get the victim out.” After freeing the first victim, responders repositioned the truck to place jacks, removed a second victim, and, with NYPD’s help, lifted the rear to rescue a third. A fourth victim was then discovered and freed after crews cut through the fence.

“The thing is, we had three brand-new guys out of the fire academy working that day,” Scimeme said. “You’re constantly drilling them over and over with all this stuff, and the fact that they were able to remember how to operate these things in a high-stress situation really helped out a lot.” In addition to Scimeme, the other honorees from that rescue included firefighter (now Lieutenant) Kevin C. Alore Jr., and firefighters Michael L. Morano, Justin C. Rodriguez, Dominic J. Torre, and Nicholas P. Willoughby.

It was that composure and teamwork under pressure that ultimately earned Ladder Company 18 the World Trade Center Memorial Medal, awarded this week.

For Scimeme, the honor is less about individual recognition and more about acknowledging the collective effort. “I’m proud of my guys to be able to help out. I don’t really care for the accolades. I love that they honored me with it, but it’s more great for the house to get that acknowledgment,” he said. “If it wasn’t me working, it would have been another lieutenant or boss. Everyone’s trained to do this job.”

Still, the recognition comes with a bittersweet undertone. Despite the firefighters’ best efforts, four victims later passed away. “You’re celebrating something, but four people died,” Scimeme reflected. “We did our job, we tried to save as many people as possible, but it still weighs on you.”

After the rescue, Scimeme checked in with each member of the team, especially the younger firefighters. “You have to take care of your guys. You want to make sure they’re in a good headspace—before and after calls,” he said. The department’s counseling services also reached out, providing critical support.

As for the medal itself, Scimeme said the original nomination was written with modest intentions. “We were just trying to get a unit citation, a little pat on the back for the guys. I never thought we’d actually get a medal,” he said.

Ultimately, the experience reinforced the core values of the job. “We’re a brotherhood,” Scimeme said. “You just have to look out for each other.”

The six honorees from the Corlear’s Hook Park crash were among 70 firefighters who shared 50 medals at the annual Medal Day service, which has been honoring hero firefighters since 1869. The ceremony was held on a warm day at City Hall Park on June 3 attended by thousands of friends, family and fellow firefighters. The city live-streamed the ceremony on YouTube. The FDNY also posted the complete Medal Day book online.