Spanish Fork honors residents for heroic actions rescuing trapped driver from icy river
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- Members of the Spanish Fork City Council, top row, pose for a photo with Lt. Gov. Deidre Henderson, bottom left, Stefania Fox, bottom center, and Preston Haun, bottom right, during a special recognition ceremony Tuesday Feb. 4, 2025.
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- First responders work to pull a vehicle out of the Spanish Fork River after it crashed and rolled down an embankment into the water Jan. 10, 2025.
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- A vehicle is submerged in the Spanish Fork river after a rollover crash Jan. 10, 2025.
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- First responders work to pull a vehicle out of the Spanish Fork River after it crashed and rolled down an embankment into the water Jan. 10, 2025.
A range of emotions swirled through a packed room inside the Spanish Fork City Council chambers Tuesday as two people were recognized for their recent heroic actions.
Residents Stefania Fox and Preston Haun were both presented with an award for their roles in rescuing the driver of a vehicle that crashed and rolled down an embankment, landing upside down in the Spanish Fork River, on Jan. 10.
According to a city-issued press release, just after 8 o’clock that chilly evening. Spanish Fork Police, Fire & EMS was dispatched to the intersection of Arrowhead Trail and Main Street on reports of a driver who lost control of their vehicle and went off the road into the water.
As crews were en route, they learned that two bystanders were attempting to rescue the driver who was trapped inside the vehicle.
“Before emergency crews arrived, two courageous bystanders entered the freezing waters and successfully pulled the driver to shore,” Spanish Fork officials stated in the release.
Both Haun and Fox, who just happened to be driving in the area, heard the crash, got out of their vehicles and noticed the car trapped under water, then they decided to dive into the icy-cold water to save the driver.
“They started banging on windows, kicking (doors and windows), trying to get this gentleman out. And (they) then saw his head come out of the water a little bit, and they were able to pull him out to safety (from) the freezing cold water,” Spanish Fork Fire Chief Eddie Hales said Tuesday as he praised the duo’s bravery.
The driver was treated on the scene, then taken to a local hospital, and was said to have survived the incident.
The Utah Valley Special Response Team also was called to help with hazardous material mitigation efforts, as fuel was leaking from the vehicle into the river.
Hales recounted the evening’s events by referencing the wet and cold weather conditions of the evening, describing the actions of Haun and Fox as similar to doing a cold plunge.
Haun told KSL.com last month that the rescue lasted several minutes, and timing was of the essence in saving the man’s life.
Fox, who’s spent many years as a first responder, said her actions were instinctive.
Both displayed humbleness in accepting the honor and said they were grateful for one another’s presence and willingness to perform the rescue.
“I’m just grateful we were there. It was the right time, right place kind of thing,” Fox said during the special recognition portion of the City Council meeting. “I’m glad that he is OK and that he was able to recover.”
Haun, who became seemingly emotional while thinking back on the rescue, echoed what Fox said and expressed gratitude for her being there as well.
“Thankfully, Stefania was there. She spoke Spanish and knew what to do when we got him out and was able to take care of everything,” he said before the City Council and a room full of attendees.
Lt. Gov. Deidre Henderson, a native of Spanish Fork, also was on hand during Tuesday’s meeting to offer her appreciation for Haun’s and Fox’s acts of heroism.
“Nobody knows when they’ll be called on to do something heroic. Nobody knows when they’ll be called on to provide an act of service for their neighbor. But we all have to be prepared for those moments,” Henderson told those in attendance. “We are so grateful that there are people like Preston and Stephanie who, when called upon, (they) stepped up.”
On behalf of the governor’s office, Henderson presented them with a certificate of recognition for their heroism.
Spanish Fork Mayor Mike Mendenhall said the selfless acts of Haun and Fox reiterate the importance of community and helping one another’s neighbor.
“These are the things that make a community what it is. And when you add all those up together in our respective communities, it’s what makes our state the state that it is, and that success is not by accident,” Mendenhall said. “So, you guys epitomize what it means to be good neighbors.”
As for the crash itself, police were investigating what caused the vehicle to go off the road and land in the river, but those details have yet to be revealed.
