JACKSON TWP — The first order of business at Monday's Seneca Valley School Board meeting was to recognize the bravery and selflessness of a track coach who rendered lifesaving aid May 13 at the scene of a fiery rollover accident in Forward Township.

Dan Dickey, a Ryan Gloyer Middle School math teacher and track coach, partnered with Steve Tinker, head coach of the Avonworth Middle School track team, to extract injured passengers from an SUV that had overturned, rolled down a ravine and caught fire.

Those passengers included a paralyzed 15-year-old who could not have exited the vehicle without help before it burst into flames.

Tracy Vitale, Seneca Valley superintendent, minced no words in expressing her pride in Dickey, who attended the meeting Monday.

“The students (returning from a track meet with Dickey) saw heroes in action,” Vitale said. “You and this other coach didn’t think about running down a ravine toward a huge fire.”

She said Dickey applied a tourniquet to one crash victim, using skills he learned in a Stop the Bleed seminar at Seneca Valley.

“My understanding is this is who you are all the time, so I'm thankful for people like you because that could have been my children down over that ravine,” Vitale told Dickey.

She said all the crash victims survived, which she attributed in large part to the care rendered by Dickey and Tinker before EMS and fire crews arrived.

Vitale said she talked to the Avonworth superintendent after the accident.

“We were in awe hearing the story,” Vitale said.

She said she saw videos taken by students at the scene that show the heroism of Dickey and Tinker.

Eric DiTullio, school board president, said Dickey represented Seneca Valley well on the night of the accident.

“People don’t always stop to help,” he said.

Asked to say a few words, Dickey quickly deflected the praise being heaped on him by the school board and administrators by recognizing the work of the police, fire crews and EMS professionals who responded to the scene.

“They handled a terrifying situation with amazing proficiency,” Dickey said.

Vitale and DiTullio presented Dickey with several Seneca Valley items as a small token of their regard for his actions May 13.