DECATUR, Ill. (WAND) - A man was awarded the Stephen Decatur medal for saving a woman and her two children from their smoking vehicle right before it caught fire.

At Tuesday's Decatur City Council Meeting, Mayor Moore Wolfe recognized Clay Gerhard for life-saving efforts.

While driving in Decatur, Gerhard came upon a disabled vehicle in the middle of the road. He got out to check on the driver, a mother with two young boys in the back, and noticed smoke coming from the vehicle.

He quickly got the boys from the back seat and helped them all get to a safe distance just before the car caught fire.

Gerhard is also the Executive Director of the Decatur Park District.

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