LORAIN — Max Keathley normally leaves his Lorain home for work in Cleveland about 4 a.m.
Thursday he was concerned about the weather, so he left 15 to 20 minutes early. That extra time might have saved a young girl’s life.
Keathley saw flames coming from 1128 W. 23rd St. and, along with two other men who happened to be passing by — Jesse Bonds and Robert Clark, was able to rouse 17-year-old Terriq Coates. Coates told them his niece, 6-year-old Daricka Coates, was sleeping in an upstairs bedroom.
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Bonds and Clark went upstairs to bring down Daricka, Keathley said, but got disoriented and couldn’t find the front door when they got back down. Keathley said he heard a thud as the men tried to break out a window, so he ran to his truck and grabbed a lug wrench and helped get both men and Daricka out of the house.
“They handed the little girl out to us, and right about the time the first fire truck came around the corner,” Keathley said.
Daricka was taken to Mercy Regional Medical Center to be checked out. Her condition was not immediately available. Bonds received cuts to his knees and hands but was treated at the scene and didn’t want to go to a hospital, according to Fire Chief Tom Brown.
Brown estimated damage was about $45,000. He said the fire started in the attached garage, and the home received both smoke and fire damage. The cause of the fire remains under investigation.
Keathley was just happy he could help.
“I come down Oberlin Avenue every morning around 4 o’clock, and I’m in Cleveland about 4:30,” Keathley said. “Thank god I did leave early because those kids — I don’t think would have lasted very long.
“At some point got a glimpse of fire between the houses. I was kind of being nosy, and I turned down the street. I didn’t really want to get involved, but it dawned on me there were probably people sleeping in that house.”
Keathley, who had left his truck running in the middle of the road, said he made his exit and went on to work as firefighters arrived because he didn’t want to be in the way.
“Very rarely would I call off,” Keathley said. “I have 65 or 66 people under my guidance” at ArcelorMittal.
Still the gravity of what he went through this morning struck him.
“I have kids, I have grandkids,” he said. “I actually got sick halfway to Cleveland. I had to pull over and get sick. It was like a weight was lifted off my shoulders.”
Contact Rona Proudfoot at rproudfoot@chroniclet.com.
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