A Hurricane Katrina evacuee in suburban Chicago is sticking to his story he used a frozen turkey to smash windows and rescue people from a burning car.

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Mark Copsy, 42, told the Chicago Tribune he and his 12-year-old son were walking back to his mother-in-law's home with the Thanksgiving bird Sunday afternoon when he spotted the smoke-filled car.

They rushed to it, and were unable to open the doors. He said they could see an elderly man in the driver's seat and a female passenger, both unconscious.

Copsy, a former carnival worker, said he tried kicking out the side windows, but couldn't.

"I said, Hell, I'll just use the damn turkey.' And that's what I did," Copsy said. He yelled for the driver to cover his face, and used the turkey to smash out three windows.

However, police who were nearby dispute the turkey had any role in the rescue, and insist it was a fire extinguisher that was used to smash the glass, WLS-TV reported.

Regardless, the victims -- man and wife -- survived, but are in critical condition, the Tribune said.