"Everybody has that in them, the instinct to help," says rescuer
Good Samaritan pulls man from burning car in Florida
A Florida man came to the rescue of a man whose car was on fire early morning Sept. 10, 2023. Aaron Mesmer with FOX 13 Tampa reports.
A good Samaritan's quick actions over the weekend in Florida likely saved the life of a driver who crashed into a consignment store.
A drunk driver lost control of his SUV, hit a telephone phone and then slammed into The Second Time Around consignment boutique in Seminole around 3:30 a.m. Sunday, Florida Highway Patrol told FOX 13 Tampa Bay.
"If I had been like even 30 seconds too late, he would have been in those flames," Travis DuPont, who was on his way home from work when he saw the crash and pulled over to help, told the TV station.
The daring rescue was caught on camera by Stephanie Turow. It shows DuPont running over to the SUV, reaching through the window, unbuckling the driver's seatbelt, freeing his legs and pulling him out.
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Travis DuPont said he knew he needed to act fast when he heard the car was on fire. (Stephanie Turow)
"Maybe 20-30 seconds, the whole car was engulfed in flames," Turow said. "It makes me want to cry now just because it was very scary, very scary moment. And yeah, he's very, very lucky to be alive."
DuPont said he knew he had to act fast, and hopes others would have done the same thing.
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Florida Highway Patrol told FOX 13 Tampa Bay that a drunk driver lost control of his SUV, hit a telephone pole and then slammed into a consignment shop around 3:30 a.m. Sept. 10, 2023. (Stephanie Turow)
The scene in front of a consignment store in Seminole, Florida, after an SUV crashed into it and caught on fire. (FOX 13 Tampa Bay)
"Everybody has that in them, the instinct to help," he said. "I just hope that when the going gets tough and that actually happens, everybody is capable of being a hero."
The driver was taken to the hospital with minor injuries. As of Tuesday, FHP has not charged him. The consignment shop is back open for business.
