Anthony Perry from Chicago was the recipient of a 2008 Audi A6 for saving the life of a man who fell on the subway’s electrified rail. A philanthropist and businessman gave him the car during a ceremony that honored his efforts.
Anthony, 20, only thought of getting the man off the tracks.
“I don’t think I was thinking about what could happen to me at the moment,” he recalled. “It was more of what do I have to do to make the situation peaceful. I felt a little shock. I felt it all over my body actually, and then I just didn’t let that stop me.”
The man fell on the tracks on a Sunday afternoon at the 69th Street Red Line CTA Station in the Greater Grand Crossing neighborhood in Chicago.
The 32-year-old victim got into an altercation with another commuter which caused his fall.
A video captured by Tavi Ghee shows the man’s body pulsating with electricity. But according to witnesses, he walked up to the other passenger, spitting and starting the fight.
The men ended up fighting on the tracks, until the man in the white shirt was trapped on the third rail.
The other commuter fled the scene causing investigators to search for him.
Anthony immediately jumped on the tracks to rescue the man. He attempts to pull the man but jumps back slightly at the touch.
He began to administer chest compressions with the help of another stranger.
“She was talking me through on what to do,” he said. “I feel like that was an angel from God. I ended up doing chest compressions and turning him on his side until the fire department got there.”
He saw the fight the moment he got out of a train.
He didn’t walk away saying God wouldn’t have liked it if he did, so he chose to stay and see what he could do. The victim was taken to the University of Chicago Hospital.
“I was thinking about, if that was me in that situation, how would I want people to treat me?” Anthony said. “I’m just happy that the guy was alive, more than anything. I didn’t see myself as a hero, to be honest.”
Anthony takes 2 buses and the train to get to his job at an Amazon Fresh in Oak Lawn. It was Early Walker who presented him with his new car during the ceremony.
“We need more Anthonys in the world. We need more people like this,” Early said.
“Good does win. Good always wins,” a shocked Anthony said.
The CTA says that in situations like these, notify a CTA employee. They will notify the control center who will turn off power to the third rail.
They released a statement saying that individuals “should never try to enter the right of way, or try to remove the person themselves, as they risk electrocution.”
Hit play below to see Anthony receive his surprise!
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