Real Life Hero Caught On Video: This Trucker Saw A Horrifying Crash, Then Sprung Into Action

Truck driver David Frederickson is a real-life hero, and his selfless actions after witnessing a horrifying car accident on the I-10 freeway outside of Biloxi, Mississippi, helped a family survive what looked like certain death on the highway.

And even better, the whole frightening but amazing incident was caught on video, thanks to the dashboard camera in Frederickson’s truck.

According to the YouTube page where Frederickson’s son posted the dash-cam video, this shocking car accident happened on August 11 (meaning the time stamp on the video is in error). As the video shows, Frederickson’s truck — with another occupant in the passenger’s seat — was driving just a few hundred yards from the fiery crash, which happened when a small car collides in “T-Bone” fashion with a semi, smashing into the truck’s fuel tank.

A huge fireball erupts as traffic (mostly) comes to a halt.

As Frederickson stops his own truck, his passenger is heard to say, “That guy’s dead, dude.”

When Frederickson says he wants to help, the passenger says, “No! What are you gonna do?”

“I got a fire extinguisher,” the brave driver replies.

Moments later, the video shows Frederickson appearing on the asphalt with fire extinguisher in hand, marching without hesitation right toward the raging fire.

“Thankfully my father had the presence of mind, bravery, and forethought of carrying a fire extinguisher, to be the first person on scene to risk his own life in order to possibly save another and to inspire others and lead them into taking action. Everyone involved in the rescue effort is a hero in my books,” wrote Frederickson’s son on the YouTube page. “The police and fire department responded within minutes of the accident and also deserve praise. Remember to treat truck drivers well as they are often the first responders in automobile accidents.”

Frederickson himself nearly succumbed to the smoke as he pulled a one-year-old baby from the wreckage. The baby turned out to be fine, incredibly. And just as amazing, the female driver — reportedly the baby’s grandmother — suffered no worse than a broken leg in an accident that left, it appeared, every onlooker but Frederickson assuming that anyone in the vehicle was dead.

“I don’t feel it’s heroic,” Frederickson told the automotive site Jalopnik. “Really what I feel is when I first got out of the truck, I was praying that they wouldn’t be dead. I just wanted to put the fire out, but when I saw they were alive, I was like ‘SWEET!'”

David Fredereickson’s passenger, despite his initial hesitation, followed him to the accident scene and held the one-year-old as soon as Fredererickson pulled the girl from the burning car.

“She was the cutest little thing, too,” Frederickson said. “She was hugging him so tight she was choking him.”