Hero on Highway 4: Man saves toddler from burning car in Antioch
ANTIOCH, Calif. (KRON) – A man rescued a toddler from a burning car just before it blew up in flames on Highway 4 in Antioch on Tuesday.
The hero was driving with his 10-year-old daughter when they came across the horrific scene… a rolled-over car on fire. His daughter noticed people trapped inside, but instead of calling 911, he pulled over and ended up rescuing a 3-year-old girl from the flames.
“I just told myself I wasn’t going to leave that little girl in that car,” Troy White told KRON4.
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White says he was driving with his daughter Delilah Tuesday afternoon when they noticed a car rolled over and on fire with people stuck inside.
“I was scared because I know if a car is on fire it can blow up,” he said.
White says he ran up to the car and saw a woman climbing out, so he went to the other side of the car.
“I ran around and looked inside, and what I saw was a nightmare. There was a child strapped into her car seat,” he said.
With flames continuing to grow, White worked as quickly as he could to get the girl out.
“Such a brave little girl. She wasn’t crying. She was scared. I remember her saying ‘Help me, help me, help me.’ When I got her out like 30 seconds later everyone was yelling, ‘Get away from the vehicle.’ I handed her to her mom,” White said.
Minutes later, the car blew up in flames. Fire crews worked to put out the fire.
California Highway Patrol says the mom suffered minor injuries and went in the ambulance with her daughter who had cuts from broken glass.
“I’m just glad that the family is okay,” White said.
Video of the rescue is now circulating online. Many are calling White a hero – which he attributes to his faith.
“I’d like to give the glory to God. He answered my prayers. I have been praying a lot lately. I asked for ways to be of service, and I believe he answered my prayer that day. It was a last-minute change of scheduling for me to even be there at that time,” he said.
CHP says drugs and alcohol were not involved in the rollover crash, and the mom and daughter are recovering.
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