Teens Find Car Wreck In Woods, But Run Away When They Realize Who Owned It

Two teenaged friends went out for a regular quadbike ride in the woods, but they didn’t expect to find themselves in the middle of a mysterious incident that begged for answers. The two friends had a routine of exploring the woods near their homes, but they had never ever come across the puzzling scene they discovered one late afternoon. This discovery would eventually involve the police and other authorities the boys never expected to have to deal with in their youth. In some countries and cities it’s not considered safe to let your children roam freely in the wild. But of course, as in many scenarios, there are exceptions. Alec Yanisko and Joe Delvecchio were ATV enthusiasts and nobody could tell them where they could or could not ride their 4-wheelers. Like most states, the police are wary of teenagers getting up to trouble, especially when they have a set of wheels and a vehicle that could take on most terrains. In this case however, the boys had no intention of making a run-in with the law, but that was all about to change, whether they wanted it to or not.

The woods can be quite frightening, especially as night creeps in. There are many horror stories of some ungodly incidents that have taken places in the middle of the forest… and not all of them took place during the eerie hours of the night. In general people will think twice before heading out there and even more so when they’re alone. You can put dangerous animals like snakes, bears, and wolves on the backburner for a second and consider other dangerous factors. I don’t have to detail them for you, use your imagination and you’ll understand. You’ve heard it before, and you will hear it again – “kids will be kids”. But there are some kids who stand out from the rest. This is a story of two kids who did just that. But don’t get the wrong idea; they didn’t ever have the intention of doing what they did. But sometimes life has a funny way of putting things in our path, and how we choose to deal with these ‘obstacles’ or ‘challenges’ is completely up to us. Read on to find out exactly what happened to these two friends.

How Did It Start?

Everything started when teenagers Alec Yanisko and Joe Delvecchio were taking their ATVs out for a ride one night.

The boys did this regularly so they didn’t think anything different of that night. However, they were taken by surprise when something unusual happened.

An Unexpected Ride

They went to the woods near where they lived, a popular place among the local hiking and biking community. There was nothing to give away that they were about to experience something mind-blowing.

After all, the pair of teenaged boys simply went on to do something they routinely did. However, this ride was quite different from the others they had previously gone on.

Something Unclear

They were having a lot of fun on their ATVs, but something behind the trees caught their attention.

Not sure of what it what was, they cautiously approached.

Seeing The Object

As they approached the area, they were able to see that the object that attracted their attention was actually a car! However, their instincts told them that something was not quite right about the whole thing.

The two young men already knew that there was something unusual about the situation.

A Bad Feeling

What was it that made them think that way? For starters, the car was lying about a quarter of a mile away from the closest road.

That was highly unusual in itself and the boys were interested to learn about what was going on. But then they thought it best to get some help.

No-one In Sight

The two boys did a short scout of the area and soon realized that there was no-one in the vicinity.

They then figured that they would reward their curiosity and take a closer look at the situation, even if it was eerie.

A Terrifying Scene

Delvecchio and Yanisko then noticed that the car somehow got stuck! They knew that there was a mystery there just waiting to unfold, but there was something eerie about the scenario.

They had a lot of questions in mind: Was anyone inside? How long had the car been there? They decided to trust their instinct and began to investigate.

Darkness

Even though they were brave enough to continue their own investigation of the scene, soon darkness was setting upon them.

It made it more difficult to see what was in front of them. Of course it also added an element of mystery and creepiness to their situation.

A Closer Look

The boys approached the car to see what was going on. Once they went closer, they saw that it was stuck on a log! Even more baffling was the fact that a few of the windows had been smashed.

There seemed to be no one in the nearby area. What could have possibly happened? There were so many questions running through their minds. Where on earth could the driver be and were they safe?

Searching For A Clue

Since the car seemed to have been abandoned, the two began to look around for any clues that would lead to the owner’s identity.

They went through the car, checked the glove compartment, felt around under the seats, and inspected the trunk.

Into The Woods

When they didn’t find much inside the car itself, the pair decided that they would go into the forest and search there.

It was by no means an easy or rational decision, but they were determined to find out what had happened.

A Mysterious Clue

During their investigation, they were able to find something akin to a clue. They discovered a Sam’s Club retail card with name Edwin Kosik printed on it.

They knew that this was a significant finding for their mission. But who exactly was this man?

Searching Online

They did not know anyone with the same name, so they decided to use Facebook to see if they could find him. This online search led them to some crucial facts about what went down in the woods.

Isn’t it amazing that modern technology allowed this to happen with just a click of a button? Let us find out what they were able to discover from their search.

Recalling The Discovery

The older of the two recalled what happened when they found the card in the car.

“We went typed it in online to see if we knew them or anything like and we saw all the attention it had.”

An Important Car

Upon looking up his name on the social media platform, they saw several news reports about the man in question.

Apparently, the 92-year-old man was a popular and esteemed federal judge who had gone missing in the past two days. By now, it was obvious that the car was linked to the missing person report. Had the two young men gotten themselves involved in something sinister?

Spooked

However, the elderly man was nowhere to be found in the surrounding area. Yanisko and Delvecchio suddenly understood the possibilities and ran away in a panic.

They immediately went home. They still had no idea what the car wreck meant for the fate of Kosik, but they knew it could not have been anything good.

Police Get Involved

The two boys went straight to their parents and let them know about their discovery. They sought out the help of the police right away.

The authorities then asked the teenagers to take them to where they found the car and so they accompanied the officers to the site. Kosik was still nowhere in sight. It is easy to see why they were freaked out by the situation.

A Massive Hunt

“I was a little scared. I didn’t think they’d find him alive,” Yanisko admitted in an interview with The Times-Tribune sometime in April 2017.

After they showed the police the location of the car, the authorities launched a big search party accompanied by sniffer dogs. The whole thing was developing into something a lot bigger than what the boys first had in mind.

Worried Locals

Message boards across Pennsylvanian highways displayed information about the missing federal judge. “I’m shocked. I’m very upset because he’s a great man and we don’t want anything happening to him,” commented Georgia Fisch, a local from Madison Township.

She had known Judge Kosik for many years, like a lot of people in the region did. She herself went on a personal search mission by driving around on Thursday to see if she would find any leads about his whereabouts. “I’ve gone up the mountain, Aston Mountain, checking the back roads and stuff, just seeing if he made a wrong turn somewhere and got lost!”

Community’s Help

It wasn’t just Georgia Fisch who took it upon herself to search for the judge on her own watch, many others did too.

The case of the missing judge became a major event, but with each passing hour, the situation seemed to be less and less promising.

Unsolved Mystery

A sighting of the elderly man was reported. U.S. Marshals confirmed the rumors that he was seen on the Pennsylvania Turnpike that was headed toward New Jersey.

According to the local authorities, “Communications with the family has revealed that Judge Kosik has taken medication to aid in memory loss.”

The FBI Get Involved

It was clear that the case was turning serious when the FBI got involved with the search.

Foul play was a possibility, after all, and the missing man had been in service with the Scranton federal bench for over three decades.

Getting More Clues

According to the Marshals, there was a surveillance video that showed Kosik attempting to open the doors of Bill’s Shoprite located in Covington Township the previous night.

The store, however, was already closed at the time. After the missing person’s report was made, the police deployed aerial and grid searches around the area that Kosik was last seen. He had disappeared from his home at around 1:30 in the morning.

Demanding Answers

His disappearance came as a shock to the Scranton legal community. He was a well-known judge in the area. His coworker Chris Powell expressed his concerns as well.

The attorney said, “We want to know what happened to him. And everybody has their opinion, as lawyers, among themselves. I was just in court this morning and it’s on everybody’s mind.” The last time Judge Kosik had been seen, he was dressed in a blue winter coat and jeans.

Not Ruling Out The Criminal Act

United States Marshal Martin Payne explained that the family had reported some things that might be helpful to the case.

However, it was still impossible to completely rule out a criminal angle to his disappearance. A police helicopter was deployed by the state authorities to comb through Covington Township and nearby areas.

Plea From The Public

The investigators asked the general public to call 911 if they had any information about the missing man.

Even though all the authorities had been dispatched to the case, they were calling on the public to aid them in their search.

Memory Loss

The judge’s son was extremely anxious about the whole ordeal.

He was worried that the elderly man might have forgotten his whereabouts and then panicked before running out in the cold. This was a common sentiment among everyone who was keeping up with the case.

The Weather Issue

People were concerned about his odds of surviving in the weather. The investigators knew that they had to find him quickly.

Since he was a mainstay on the news, people should have been able to recognize him. However, how much would this dissemination actually help?

Four-Legged Help

The next step was to bring in a K-9 unit from the police department in order to help find the elderly judge.

But they had had such little success until that point, so would a police dog be any more of a help?

A Discovery

Before they knew it, the K-9 picked up a significant piece of information that would eventually lead to finding Kosik!

The K9 was able to detect the 92-year-old man’s scent and rushed in pursuit of the man. But what would he find?

So Close

To their absolute disbelief, the judge was found a mere 100 yards away from the area.

The pair of teenaged boys were shocked to hear that the judge was lying such a short distance away from where they found the car!

Hanging On

Edgar Kosik was found lying on the ground but he was, fortunately, alive and well. The elderly man was alert and able to speak coherently.

In fact, he even pointed out that a Marshal recently got a haircut. So what exactly happened to the 92-year-old federal judge? It should go without saying that everyone was eager to find out how he ended up there.

Unanswered Questions

In an interview with media outlets, the Marshal said that it was likely that the man had been on the ground for the two days that he had been missing. “I don’t know exactly how long he was in this state for, but it is very possible that he was there the whole time,” he explained.

The elderly man was dressed in the exact same outfit he was previously seen in so he must have been by himself those two whole days.

Hospital Time

Initially, no one knew the physical state that Kosik was in. Regardless, he was taken to the hospital.

Michael Kosik, the son of the judge and an attorney himself, explained that his father had undergone two falls in the past year and he had a difficult time recovering from the broken ribs he sustained from the accidents.

More Information

After the discovery, Kosik was taken to the Geisinger Community Medical Center in an ambulance. It was there that he was checked over by a doctor.

A hospital spokesperson announced that he was in a “fair condition”. Everyone was relieved to hear that, but there was still no answer to the mystery. Just what had happened in the woods and how did he end up on the ground?

Fighting His Memory

Everyone wanted to know what happened to Edwin Kosik. At this point in time, the details were still vague.

However, the one clear detail was that he had been taking medication to aid his memory. It was also known that his legal career was on an “inactive” status due to his health problems. Did these two facts have anything to do with the mystery of his disappearance?

Local Heroes

It sure was fortunate that Yanisko and Delvecchio happened upon the car in the woods. Otherwise, who knows what would have happened to Kosik if he remained there for a longer period of time!

The young men were recognized by U.S. Marshal Martin Pane for the role they played in the discovery of the federal judge.

Putting The Clues Together

A lot of people believed that Kosik had experienced an episode of memory loss.

It is speculated that he suddenly forgot where he was and felt disoriented as he was on his way home. It was highly likely that he subsequently crashed his car and was at a loss for what to do next.

Further Tests

He underwent several tests in the hospital and the professionals came to the conclusion that he had fallen unconscious after the frightening moment.

Who knows what would have happened if no-one ever stumbled across his car.

Singing Their Praises

“We’re very thankful to these two young men that they saw this vehicle, happened to be in this area, fortunately,” U.S. Marshal Pane said in a Fox News interview in April 2017.

In the same broadcast, Delvecchio himself was featured as he said, “We’re glad he’s okay, glad that we could help out.”

An Impact

Who knows what impact a major life event like this can have on a person, especially a young one.

Delvecchio revealed that he wanted to join the police force in the future himself.

Humble Heroes

Many people have referred to the two teenage boys as heroes, but Delvecchio refused the tile. He told The Times that they had done nothing significant and that they had only been “at the right place at the right time”.

He shrugged off the compliments by saying that they were only glad to have helped out when they could.

Getting To Know Him

While the young men were not acquainted with Kosik prior to the incident, they did say that they wanted to get to know the elderly man.

According to Fox News, the two wanted to introduce themselves to the federal judge when he was feeling better. They eventually paid him a visit in the hospital to check up on him.

Getting Credit

Aren’t these two young men admirable? Not a lot of people their age would have been alert enough to know that something was off about the sight of a car in the woods. However, Yanisko and Delvecchio had the presence of mind as well as the drive to find out what was going on. By following their instincts, they helped save a life!

They had all the right in the world to run off as soon as they saw the scene, but they decided to get in touch with the authorities instead. However, will anyone really know what happened?

Doing The Right Thing

The young men were simply happy that they were able to help out and that everyone’s efforts paid off when Kosik was found. It seems like no one will ever learn about the details that led up to the discovery.

However, many believed that the elderly man’s weak memory must have acted up and he became disoriented as he was driving home. Imagining it made people sad but they were also glad that he was found before things got worse.

Fully Grateful

The Kosik father and son duo were thankful for the boys’ actions. They simply could not express the enormity of their gratitude. After all, they did save the elderly man’s life through their proactive and mindful thinking.

In an interview, Michael Kosik revealed, “I don’t know how I can ever repay them for helping to bring my father back to me.”

Awarded For Bravery

Aside from being honored by the U.S. Marshal, they were also honored by Lackawanna County commissioners.

Alec Yanisko and Joe Delvecchio were given awards by the county officials in front of their classmates from Dunmore High School as well as their parents.

A Happy Ending

The federal judge himself was in attendance during the awarding ceremony! By then, he had already been discharged from the hospital.

“It was an honor to watch them receive their award, I am sat here today because of them,” he explained.

Who Is Judge Kosik?

While we understand that searching for and finding a missing person is a big deal, many people were wondering what the big deal about Judge Kosik was.

Of course, he was 92 years old and he had been missing, but who was this man?

Starting Out

Judge Kosik was born in Dupont in Pennsylvania. He worked hard to achieve his bachelor of arts degree in 1949 from Wilkes College.

He then progressed to study law and obtain his Bachelor of Laws degree in 1951 from Dickinson School of Law.

Military Service

The judge served his time as a Corporal in the United States Army between 1943 and 1946.

Later he would serve as a reserve colonel in 1975. But where did his law expertise come into play?

The Law In His Hands

Kosik worked in a private practice in Scranton, Pennsylvania between 1951 and 1953.

Later he became the Assistant United States Attorney of the Middle District in Pennsylvania between 1953 to 1958. In 1958 he would return to private practice until 1969. before returning to private practice from 1958 to 1969.

President Reagan

President Ronald Reagan himself nominated Judge Kosik a place on the United States District Court for the Middle District of Pennsylvania on May 14th, 1986.

Quite an achievement!

93rd Birthday

Judge Edwin Michael Kosik celebrated his 93rd birthday on May 5th, 2018.

His family realized just how special it was that they were able to share in such a momentous occasion.

A Lesson For All

These two teenagers showed everyone, both young and old, that even when fear grips you and turns your legs to jelly, you can push on and be brave.

The boys might claim that they “just happened to be there”, but the fact is that they acted when so many others would have chosen not to.