Deputy honored for pulling woman from burning car

MARGARETTA TWP. — An Erie County sheriff's deputy was recognized Wednesday for risking life and limb to pull a woman out of a burning vehicle. Deputy Mitchell Zunt received commendation certificates from Sheriff Paul Sigsworth for rescuing Sandusky resident Storm Lanier, 18, from a car that was on fire following a crash on March 16. The crash occurred at Ohio 2 and Ohio 101 near Ventra. Storm was a passenger in a vehicle driven by her friend, Jocelyn Cherry, 19, when their car drove through a red light, struck a pickup truck and caught on fire. Sigsworth showed video from Zunt's body camera, with permission from Storm's mother, Rachel Lanier. The Register is not publishing the video due to its graphic nature: A screenshot from the body camera of Deputy Mitchell Zunt shows him pulling Storm Lanier out of a burning vehicle. The interior of the vehicle became engulfed less than a minute later. Provided image/ERIE COUNTY SHERIFF'S OFFICE • The video shows Zunt unsuccessfully attempt to pry open the burning vehicle's passenger-side door. • Zunt then runs to the open driver-side door — Cherry was already out of the car — and he grabbed hold of Storm, who was unconscious and pulled her out through the driver-side door. • Less than a minute later, the inside of the car became completely engulfed in flames. Zunt was about four minutes away from the crash when he got the call. "I'm thankful I was close enough to be able to do something," he said. "Any farther, it would have been a different outcome more than likely." Storm later died of her injuries in a hospital, but members of her family were in attendance during Wednesday's ceremony and thanked Zunt for being "able to say goodbye," Rachel said. Cherry has since been indicted by an Erie County grand jury on counts of aggravated vehicular homicide, aggravated vehicular assault and operating a vehicle under the influence. 'She loved life' Storm Lanier Rachel described her daughter as a responsible young adult who graduated from Sandusky High School in 2018 and had aspirations of becoming a phlebotomist — someone who draws blood from a patient or donor. "She just loved life," Rachel said. "She was always working or spending time with her family and her friends." Rachel said she was at work when she got the call that her daughter was in a car crash. She had to pass by the scene of the accident on the way to the hospital. "(When) we finally got up there to see her (at the hospital), they told us she wasn't going to make it," Rachel said. "She had severe brain trauma." Storm was too badly hurt for doctors to run certain tests on her, Rachel said. Doctors recommended she be taken off life support. The family made that decision the next day, on March 17. "I still don't believe it. I still have a hard time believing that she's gone," Rachel said. "This is my worst fear. I have seven children. I just never expected that I would go through this." Rachel said that Storm wasn't wearing a seatbelt during the crash. "I told her all the time, 'Please put your seat belt on,'" she said. "I don't know if it would make a difference … she thought it wouldn't happen to her. I think they both thought that." Rachel added that she hopes what happened to her daughter will convince other people to be careful and avoid the same mistake.