News

Actions

MUST SEE VIDEO: Hero trucker rescues grandmother, baby from burning car on Interstate

Posted
and last updated

A horrific crash on Interstate 10 near Gulfport, Mississippi ended with the dramatic rescue of an injured grandmother and 1-year-old granddaughter from their burning vehicle.

A trucker's dash cam captured the initial accident that happened On I-10 at the Highway 49 interchange on Aug. 11, 2014, despite what the internal clock on the camera said.

According to the person posting the video, his father -- David Fredericksen -- was the trucker who grabbed a fire extinguisher and ran to the burning car after it had been t-boned by another truck, severing the car's fuel line, starting the fire.  Initially, no other motorists stepped up to help.

"Luckily my father had a fire extinguisher on hand to fight back the flames and give enough time to pull the driver and her 1 year old granddaughter out of the flaming vehicle. Once the passengers are free from the vehicle the flames rapidly grow in strength consuming the vehicle," the son wrote on YouTube.

The video shows Fredericksen running to the car, using the extinguisher to slow the flames down and open the driver's side door.  He removed the female driver, who had a broken leg and then goes back to grab the 1-year-old in a baby carrier in the back seat.

Once the people are free from the vehicle the flames rapidly grow in strength, consuming the vehicle.

"My father said he was surprised he was the first one there while everyone else stayed in their vehicles," his son wrote. "It takes a huge amount of bravery to be the first to lend a hand. My guess is most people were hesitant to help because they figured the occupants could not have survived."

Frederickson summed up his experience in an interview with the bog Jalopnick, "I trusted in God when I went there. It could've blown up and killed me. He's got a plan for me, because after I got back to the truck my hands were shaking. My actions were because of my love for God and love for people. Because it does make a difference. If anyone learns anything from it, I want them to know, if they see these trucks out there, they're not bad people with aggressive drivers. They're good people."