Friends and family celebrate local hero with Cody Brennan Day in Elkhart

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[May 17, 2021]   LINCOLN - Saturday afternoon friends and family of Cody Brennan of Williamsville gathered at Gina’s Talk of the Town in Elkhart to celebrate Brennan’s special day in the village.

At the May 3rd meeting of the Elkhart Village Board members voted unanimously to establish Saturday, May 15, 2021 as Cody Brennan Day in town. The motion was made as a result of heroic efforts by Brennan that ultimately saved the life of Lincoln resident Margaret Hufnagel.

Hufnagel was driving through Elkhart on March 21st when she found herself in a terrible situation. As she crossed the railroad tracks, the crossing guard arms began coming down, indicating that a train was approaching. Hufnagel was startled by the action and stopped her car on the tracks, soon finding herself trapped between the east and west sets of arms with nowhere to go. She told news media at the time that she tried to place her car in reverse and back out of the path of the train, but was unable to get past the gates.

As she struggled with her situation she heard a voice yelling for her to “Run!” She looked outside her car and saw Brennan coming to her rescue. Brennan assisted Hufnagle out of the car and the two ran, narrowly escaping the train that crashed into Hufnagel’s car completely destroying it.

Hufnagel recalls that the train didn’t get stopped for at least a quarter-mile after the impact zone, and that the radiator of her car flew out and landed on another vehicle nearby.

She said that Brennan had said to her, “I’m not going to watch you die!” He put himself in harm’s way to rescue a stranger.

On Saturday about 25 of Brennan’s family and friends came together in Elkhart, spending the afternoon at Talk of the Town.

At 2:30 p.m. Bob Peters of Talk of the Town, called Brennan aside and while his friends watched read aloud the proclamation signed by the Village President Lyle Fouts.

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With applaud and cheers all around, Peters offered Brennan a hearty handshake and thanks for his bravery. Guests then settled in for an afternoon of celebrating their hero friend.

[Nila Smith]

 

 

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