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 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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