Robert Taylor has been awarded a special commendation from the Mount Laurel Township Council “for “bravery and heroism during a dangerous situation.”
Taylor, who has been living on Fairfax Drive for 10 years, explained the incident that led to the accolades.
On the night of June 11, Taylor was getting out of his car and heard a car sideswipe a parked car a couple of doors down.
The car that hit the parked car went into reverse and up the neighbor’s driveway. It struck a gas line, setting the car, the garage, and the car inside the garage on fire.
Taylor said he saw the driver was apparently in shock, removed her from the car and dragged her to safety across the street.
He then went and banged on the neighbor’s house and got him to safety as well. That neighbor in his 80s and is hard of hearing.
Taylor was at the council meeting when he was honored.
“I was a little embarrassed but I felt honored,” he said. “I don’t consider myself a hero.
“I just happened to be the person who was at the right place at the right time,” he added. “And I did the right thing and luckily the results were positive.”
Taylor said that, while damage was done to the house and cars, no people were hurt.
He also said he doesn’t know why the driver behaved in the way she did.
“I really don’t know any of the details of what exactly caused her to do what she did,” Taylor said.
He said as many as six fire companies showed but PSE&G had to come shut off the gas before the fire was under control.
“Luckily I’m able to do what I was able to do,” Taylor said, noting he had an adrenaline rush when helping. “I guess it’s just something inside of me.”
He remembered somebody behind him was yelling at him to stay back from the fire.
“There was no way I was going to stay back when somebody’s life is at risk,” Taylor said, adding he didn’t know when the house would blow up. “I’m not going to stand there watching a human being blow up if I can prevent that.
“If it was my turn to go then it was my turn to go but something inside me just told me this is what you have to do and that’s what I did,” he continued.
Taylor said he has received thanks from the people involved and neighbors including people he doesn’t know.
“Everybody has treated me royally,” he said.
Born in Collingswood, Taylor moved to Haddon Heights, then Medford, then Mount Laurel. He was captain of the Haddon Heights police reserve years ago.
Now retired, Taylor stays active on various committees.
At 76, he said he keeps fit by walking a lot, belonging to Weight Watchers, and trying to stay as active as possible.
