Car Stalled On Tracks - In Class Prompt

James Laboke knew something was wrong when he saw a car stalled on the train tracks with the driver slumped over the wheel.

At approximately 6 a.m. this morning, Laboke, a seventeen year old waiter walking to an early shift at the Eezy Breezy restaurant, spotted and reported the car to police.  Laboke stated that the 1987 pink Cadillac Seville was stalled on the tracks and that the driver, 80-year-old Quebec tourist Francois Truffant, appeared to be unconscious. 

The Amtrak Downeaster, with a daily 6 a.m. stop in Old Orchard Beach, was about 10 minutes away. 

To save the car, the town’s police force reacted immediately, sending out a call to all local units about the dire situation.

“I knew there was no time,” said police captain Janet Paradiso, who was on duty in her cruiser when the call went out.  “I had to do something.”

Rushing to the scene, Paradiso managed to push the stalling car from the tracks by ramming it with her own cruiser.  Just thirty seconds later, the Downeaster rolled through at 40 mph, on its scheduled morning run.  “It was that close,” Old Orchard Beach chief of police Brian Paul said of the incident.

Truffant was taken to Southern Maine Medical center after the incident. He was in stable condition after the impact of being hit by the Paradiso.  He told police that he is a diabetic, and it is believed that he may have gone into insulin shock as he reached the railroad crossing, causing his unconsciousness.

Truffant’s memory of the incident is hazy. “I don’t remember a thing,” he said.

Laboke was greeted as a hero in the summer beach town for saving Truffant from the train.  Laboke, an Afghan refugee who had been a resident of Old Orchard Beach for three years, was very humble when asked about the incident.

“I never thought about it,” he said. “I just knew I couldn’t let that man get crushed by a train.”

After reporting the incident to police, Laboke showed up for work on time and went about his work as normal.  After learning of Laboke’s heroic action, Charles Champaigne, owner of the Eezy Breezy restaurant, had nothing but praise for his employee.  “It doesn’t surprise me at all,” Champaigne said. “That young man is one of my most responsible employees. He’s just a great kid.”