Witness credited with helping driver escape fiery, deadly New Kensington crash

NEW KENSINGTON, Pa. — Jonathan Dibler, 18, has worked at Caliber Collision for about six months.

On Monday, he was on his way to grab lunch on his break when a red SUV sped past him. A little way up the road near the overpass of Routes 366 and 56, he saw the car take a turn too wide, lose control and slam into an oncoming pick up truck.

“I was just in shock,” Dibler told Channel 11′s Andrew Havranek.

He wasted no time springing in to action to try and help.

“I put my vehicle into park and jumped out and told the lady beside me to call the cops,” Dibler recalled.

>> Man dead, another person injured in head-on crash on New Kensington bypass ramp

Other drivers who were also stopping their cars quickly noticed the truck that was hit was on fire.

“It was over on the passenger side. It started off little, and kept getting bigger by each second,” Dibler said.

He worked to get the driver’s door open and pulled that man to safety.

“By the time I got him out and walked maybe 10-15 feet from the truck, the entire front end was on fire,” Dibler said.

He went over to the red SUV, but the man in that car — identified as Richard Kern, 69, of New Kensington — had already died. The district attorney’s office said he suffered a medical incident before the crash.

The driver Dibler pulled to safety wasn’t seriously hurt.

“I know he’s saying he’s a little bit sore,” he said. “I talked to his mom. Other than that she said he’s doing okay.”

Dibler doesn’t have any sort of first responder training, but he said that wasn’t going to stop him from trying to help, and says others should do the same.

“Moments ago that could have been me if I didn’t have to swerve him,” Dibler recalled. “Don’t be like other people. Don’t take video and pictures and try to make yourself more popular. Just help others.”

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