NORTH VERSAILLES, Pa. — “Just so sad,” said Rick Smail. “I just don’t have any words.”
Smail said he was lost for words when he got a call on Tuesday to let him know his new friend, Kenny Ferree died of a heart attack.
“I just realize how fragile life is,” said Smail. “That Kenny was only 56, and he had a heart attack that took his life. I can’t. I’m sorry.”
In October, Smail had a heart attack while driving a school bus down Ardmore Boulevard. He crashed into the Forest Hills sign in front of the Taco Bell. Ferree saw what happened and ran to be by Smail’s side.
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“He is definitely a hero to me,” said Smail. “He was there to comfort me and to talk to me and to do whatever he could until help could come.”
That’s exactly what Darrell, a friend of Ferree, did for him.
“I turned around, and he literally fell over,” said Darrell. “It was a massive heart attack. I gave him CPR. Mouth to mouth until the firefighters got there. We did everything that we could.”
Darrell says Ferree would do anything for anyone.
“Kenny already had four heart attacks,” said Darrell. “The fact that he was there to save that other man I would just think there were higher things in place for Kenny.”
“I ask myself why I survived, and Kenny didn’t,” said Smail. “I’ll just never get an answer for that.”
Ferree’s wife, Julie, was there the day of the crash. She also joined them in that kitchen a month later, and they planned to have many more moments together.
“These moments in time are really precious when we talk to people,” said Smail. “Just never know when those times are over.”
One of Ferree’s sons set up a GoFundMe page to help pay for funeral expenses. If you’d like to donate, click here.
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