A good Samaritan is called a neighborhood hero after risking his life to save a man from Fullerton’s burning car.
Richard Vasquez said he was making tacos with his mother when he heard the crash loudly and jumped into action.
“I really never thought about it again. The most difficult object I had was the hammer,” said the 21-year-old hero.
Vazquez, who works in the construction, said he grabbed a hammer to open the window and open the door of the burning white SUV.
“To be honest, it was a bit scary. It was just an idea in my head. Hopefully it wouldn’t explode,” Vazquez said.
Officer Bodycam showed dramatic rescue last Wednesday morning.
Police said the driver was suffering from a medical emergency when he hit a parked car in front of Vasquez on Valencia Drive.
Vasquez recalls that the tires set fire as the driver stepped into the gas pedal.
“The tire fragments – the rubber was really hot so I was jumping to the sides of my body. It was kind of burning,” Vasquez said.
Vazquez said he was in a hurry to open the door and try to unleash the male driver. Without the driver being buckled, the other neighbors grabbed the hose to fire, which helped the officers pull the driver out of Vazquez.
“The fire is mostly there, so I’m trying to get a hose and water and avoid the fire,” said my neighbor Jorge Zimeno.
Vazquez says the driver was conscious and responsive after being pulled safely.
“I tried to save him, I tried to save his life. Instead of seeing him lose it, my instinct was, “at least I’m going to try and do something about it, not just put him there,” Vazquez said.
Vasquez says he suffered from a small blister on his legs, but he is fine.
The driver status is still unknown.
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