A man in Seminole, Florida, is being praised for rescuing a driver after a serious crash early Sunday.
According to Florida Highway Patrol officials, a drunk driver lost control of the vehicle, slammed into a pole, then crashed into the Second Time Around consignment store, Fox 13 reported Tuesday.
One of the people who arrived first at the scene was a man identified as Travis DuPont, who was on his way home from work when he spotted the crash.
DuPont knew he had to rescue the man still inside the vehicle, so he leapt into action.
Video shows the moment DuPont stands next to the red SUV and reaches in to grab the driver:
“Hurry! Get out, get out, get out!” a woman behind the camera told the pair as they struggled to get away from the car, which had flames coming out from under its hood.
Seconds later, DuPont lifted the man from the car and carried him a safe distance from the crash site while the woman asked if anyone had a fire extinguisher.
“I saw this man, unconscious. I reached in, shook him, started yelling at him,” DuPont told WFLA.
“I was like, ‘Hey man, you gotta move your legs, you gotta move your legs. Had it been like, even 30 seconds too late, he would have been in those flames,” he recalled.
Witness Stephanie Turow said thinking about what she saw makes her feel emotional because it was extremely frightening, adding that the driver is lucky to have escaped with his life.
Following the rescue, DuPont said, “Everybody has that in them, the instinct to help. I just hope that when the going gets tough and that actually happens, everybody is capable of being a hero.”
The driver involved was taken to a local hospital suffering from minor injuries. The Fox report said as of late Tuesday, he had not been charged in the incident.
The consignment shop’s owner told ABC Action News the business is still open and everyone connected to it is alive and well.
In a social media post Wednesday, DuPont thanked everyone for their support regarding the incident.
“I’m glad I arrived at the right time and place to help this man out of his car,” he stated:
Thank you all for the kind words and support. I’m glad I arrived at the right time and place to help this man out of his car. Please be safe when out driving late, and please NEVER drink and drive.
Posted by Travis DuPont on Wednesday, September 13, 2023
He also urged others to “Please be safe when out driving late, and please NEVER drink and drive.”
