SOUTHFIELD, Mich. – A Good Samaritan is being hailed a hero after rescuing a man from a burning SUV in Southfield.
The incident occurred Saturday (March 11) around 11 p.m.
The viral video, taken along 8 Mile Road, showed the lengths one man went to in an effort to save a complete stranger.
“Some people were kicking at the truck,” said Mr. Jackson. “That’s how I knew somebody was probably trapped in there.”
Mr. Jackson was on his way home when he saw other drivers and police trying to get into the passenger side of the SUV, but the flames kept them back.
“They couldn’t do anything because he was so much on fire,” said? “I instantly went to plan B. I know they had plan A covered, so I went to get a fire extinguisher from the store.”
He rushed to a nearby gas station, returning with a fire extinguisher he’d asked to borrow.
“I had started sweeping back and forth with the fire extinguisher,” Mr. Jackson said. “Once I did that, the fire calmed down a little bit. That’s when one of the Southfield police officers grabbed him and pulled him out the rest of the way.”
Once the officer got him the victim out, Mr. Jackson began helping the passenger.
“I started putting it out on his head, worked my way down to his feet,” Mr. Jackson said.
He never thought twice about doing what he did, not then, not now.
“I was just moving, and I wanted to give him a fighting chance because I knew if that was me, my son, father, daughter, or anybody, I’d want someone to do the same, so I wasn’t just going to sit there and let somebody be ablaze and say its too late.”
Sadly the victim did not survive the crash, and on Tuesday (March 14) morning, Southfield police will be giving an update on the investigation.