PATRICK SHELBY/Acorn Newspapers ABOVE AND BEYOND-David and Kimberly Peters show the commendations they received during last Monday night's city council meeting. They both played a part in helping to rescue an unconscious man from a burning car. If you have an accident and your vehicle goes off the 118 Freeway, you can hope that it happens near the Kadota Street underpass, close to the home of David and Kimberly Peters.

The Simi Valley residents were among six rescuers who recently saved an unconscious man from a burning car.

With beaming family members and friends in the audience at city hall, the Peterses and four Simi Valley police officers were commended by the city council last week.

"This is why we have such a great city," said Mayor Paul Miller. "We have great police officers and great citizens who will put their lives at risk."

At about 11:30 p.m. Feb. 15 the Peterses, who had just climbed into bed, heard a loud crash. Looking out the window for the source, Kimberly Peters spotted a small swirl of smoke. While she dialed 911 to report the fire, David sprinted out of the house, which is barely 100 yards from the freeway, and over the backyard fence.

There David could see the fire was from a car that had gone off the freeway. From the other side of the fence, Kimberly handed David the two house fire extinguishers. Although he couldn't see anyone inside the dark car, crushed and mangled as though it had been through a junkyard, David tried to put out the growing fire as Simi Valley police officers Cesar Zuniga and Rich Lamb arrived.

Lamb and Zuniga attempted to open the car's front doors-the driver was inside, unconscious and bleeding-but they wouldn't budge. As Zuniga tried the back door, officers Adam Darough and Ryan Hamlin pulled up. The door opened and Zuniga leaned inside and grabbed the driver's shirt. Meanwhile, Lamb unfastened the driver's seat belt, and he and Darough used extinguishers on the fire. Hamlin and Peters helped Zuniga pull the driver, described as a man in his 30s, across the street to safety.

Shortly afterward, the fire department and paramedics arrived.

"I was just doing my job," said Zuniga, who's been in law enforcement for 12 years and on the Simi Valley force since November. "Really, it was not on my own. . . . We just all worked together; we knew what we had to do and we did it."

Zuniga credits the actions of everyone there with saving the man's life that night. Even though Peters' two fire extinguishers and the two from the patrol cars didn't put out the fire, they were critical in keeping the blaze from spreading to the car's interior and giving the others time to get the driver out, Zuniga said.

The crash apparently happened after the car was hit from behind and the victim lost control, going over the guard rail to the street below, Zuniga said, adding that the driver who caused the accident was arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence of alcohol.

The Peterses would like to know how the man they helped save is doing. David said they check the newspaper obituaries daily to make sure the man isn't listed.

"You feel connected to them," Kimberly said. "Like they've become a part of your family and you want to know they're okay and everything is fine."