Waterville boy pulled child away from path of pickup

3/23/2009

For 10-year-old Matt Krause, it was all in a day's work.

A member of the safety patrol at Waterville Primary School, Matt couldn't help but notice a tearful kindergartner emerge from his mom's car Sept. 10. The little boy, Cole Dorner, didn't walk into the school as he should have, but ran down the sidewalk as his mother pulled into a parking spot.

One safety patroller called out to Cole to stop, but when he didn't, Matt stopped him before he stepped into the path of an oncoming pickup.

"I just ran over and grabbed him by the shoulder with one hand," Matt said, recalling that the driver of the pickup was talking on a cell phone and drove on by, apparently unaware of what had nearly happened.

Five-year-old Cole, for his part, was more interested in reuniting with his Mom than noticing that Matt had just saved his life.

"I told him, 'It's OK. Your mom's coming,' and then his mother came over and said, 'Thank you, thank you, thank you,'•" Matt said.

For his quick thinking, the Waterville fourth grader may need a new shelf in his bedroom to hold all the awards coming his way.

Matt is to be recognized tonight by Waterville Village Council and on April 20 by the Anthony Wayne school board. On April 16, he's off to the Safety Council of Northwest Ohio annual Hero Awards Banquet.

The accolades don't stop there.

Waterville Primary School Counselor Jamie Gutierrez nominated Matt for a AAA School Safety Patrol Lifesaving Award, and Matt will be traveling to Washington from May 18-20 to accept the national award.

"He's very conscientious and responsible, so it wasn't a big surprise to me that he would do this," said Matt's teacher, Laurie Worline.

"It couldn't have happened to a nicer kid. He's a good student, a nice kid, well-rounded."

Ms. Worline, along with Waterville Primary Principal Deb Thomas, and school librarian Candy Emch, who supervises the safety patrol, plan to make the trip to Washington with Matt; his parents, Dale and Marla Krause, and his younger brother, Jeremy.

"We're really excited to watch him get his award," Ms. Worline said. "I'm going to take pictures and send them back for the class to see."

Marla Krause said her son doesn't take his duties on the safety patrol lightly.

"When he volunteers for something and learns something like this, he takes it very, very seriously," she said. "Even if he's watching his brother for two minutes, he takes it very seriously and wants to do well."

Asked what he thinks would have happened if he had not acted so quickly that morning, Matt didn't hesitate: "Death or broken bones."

Mrs. Krause said she's proud of her son and excited about the free trip to Washington, which includes airfare, hotel, meals, and $100 spending money for Matt, one family member, and one school representative.

Matt, who said he wouldn't mind sitting down with President Obama while he's in town, said social studies is his favorite subject.

He plays soccer, football, and baseball.

Despite all the attention he's been getting lately, he insists he's remaining humble.

"It's nice, but I'm not letting it go up into my head - too far," he said.

Contact Jennifer Feehan at:

jfeehan@theblade.com

or 419-724-6129.