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<p>WYOMING &#8212; A 10-year-old boy is being hailed as a hero after he took the wheel of a vehicle as the driver suffered a fatal heart attack, according to police and family members.</p><p>The dramatic incident played out about 5:30 p.m. Tuesday.</p><p>Investigating officer Paul Bowman explained the driver had a medical emergency, which prompted him to press his foot against the vehicle&#8217;s accelerator and strike a utility pole at the corner of Ninth Street and Wyoming Avenue.</p><p>Family members have identified the driver as Joseph Kolesar, 51, of Luzerne, the owner of Salerno&#8217;s Restaurant in Luzerne.</p><p>In the vehicle with the driver were four children, including the 10-year-old, who was identified by family as Carson Crossley. Carson is the best friend of Joseph&#8217;s son.</p><p>Bowman explained that after the initial impact with the pole, Carson took the wheel, steered away from oncoming traffic and struck the front of a house at 394 Wyoming Ave.</p><p>The pole crash damaged the vehicle&#8217;s front suspension, which made it harder to steer, police noted.</p><p>An officer saw the crash happen and was able to respond immediately, Bowman said. After the vehicle came to a rest, Carson helped get the other children out safely.</p><p>Bowman praised the boy&#8217;s quick thinking.</p><p>&#8220;The 10-year-old&#8217;s actions, you could probably call them heroic,&#8221; he said. &#8220;He actually did an outstanding job taking control of the vehicle as well as he could.&#8221;</p><p>Carson&#8217;s mom, Debbie, said in an email to the Times Leader: &#8220;I wasn&#8217;t surprised by his quick reaction under such pressure, he just wishes that he could (have) helped Joe more. I have always tried to teach my boys to stay calm and be aware of their surroundings, and Carson could not have done a better job!&#8221;</p><p><strong>&#8216;A great man&#8217;</strong></p><p>At Salerno&#8217;s Restaurant, a darkness hung over the bar Wednesday night. According to patrons and workers, it&#8217;s a family environment at Salerno&#8217;s and Joseph&#8217;s passing would leave a large void.</p><p>Chris Jevin, a former employee, and Rich Yamalis, the husband of Joseph&#8217;s sister, Sherry, said the restaurant has been a prominent part of the Luzerne community for 18 years, and the family hopes to be able to keep it open.</p><p>&#8220;It&#8217;s what he would&#8217;ve wanted,&#8221; said Yamalis, of Pittston. &#8220;He loved the people of Luzerne.&#8221;</p><p>&#8220;He was a great man,&#8221; Jevin, of Swoyersville, added. &#8220;When I needed help, he helped me out, and vice versa.&#8221;</p><p>According to Yamalis and Jevin, the proceeds from Wednesday night&#8217;s sales will be going toward Kolesar&#8217;s funeral expenses. The family plans to keep the restaurant open the next few days before deciding on the next step.</p><p>The regulars at Salerno&#8217;s, like Debbie Stefanovich, of Plymouth, are hoping the restaurant stays.</p><p>&#8220;I&#8217;ve been coming for years, and we&#8217;ve become a family,&#8221; she said. &#8220;We hope we can stay here as a family. Joe was everything.&#8221;</p><p>Yamalis agreed with Stefanovich&#8217;s assessment.</p><p>&#8220;He was too young,&#8221; he said. &#8220;He&#8217;ll be deeply missed.&#8221;</p><style>
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<div class="neCaption">Tire tracks are shown in the front yard of 394 Wyoming Ave. in Wyoming after a 10-year-old boy crashed a car into the front of the house Tuesday. The boy, identified by his family as Carson Crossley, is being hailed as a hero. Carson took the wheel of the car and avoided traffic after driver Joseph Kolesar suffered a fatal heart attack, according to family and police. </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo0>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/web1_TTL070617TireTracks1-2.jpg</photo0><caption0>Tire tracks are shown in the front yard of 394 Wyoming Ave. in Wyoming after a 10-year-old boy crashed a car into the front of the house Tuesday. The boy, identified by his family as Carson Crossley, is being hailed as a hero. Carson took the wheel of the car and avoided traffic after driver Joseph Kolesar suffered a fatal heart attack, according to family and police. </caption0><photoCredit0></photoCredit0></div></div>
<div class="metaInfo"><subheadMeta>Cops: Driver dead after medical event</subheadMeta></div><div class="metaInfo"><bylineMeta><p>By Travis Kellar and Patrick Kernan</p><p>tkellar@www.timesleader.com</p><p>pkernan@www.timesleader.com</p></bylineMeta></div><div class="metaInfo"><shirttailMeta><p>Reach Travis Kellar at 570-991-6389 or on Twitter @TLNews</p><p>Reach Patrick Kernan at 570-991-6119 or on Twitter @PatKernan</p></shirttailMeta></div>

Boy, 10, hailed as hero for saving car full of children