Last weekend on a California interstate, NASCAR driver and U.S. Navy Lt. Jesse Iwuji helped a family escape a fiery minivan.
Iwuji is being hailed a hero, but he told NASCAR.com: “I was just doing what I think was the right thing to do.”
Iwuji pulled over in his car on the side of Interstate 5 in Grapevine after seeing a van with a small fire under the vehicle, FOX News reported.
He worked quickly to rescue the family of four before the fire could spread.
“We got away and just right after that, the engine just burst into flames. From there, it then went into the front seat, then into the back seat, then it got to the fuel cell area and the whole thing erupted,” Iwuji said.
Iwuji said he had to practically drag the father out of the van because he was trying to save the family’s belongings.
Iwuji posted the video of the fire on his Twitter account so people know how quickly a fire like that could spread, especially in the driest parts of California.
At the end of the day it’s about doing the right thing when you see people in need, anyone could have stopped like I did and helped, I’m no one extraordinary, just decided to do the right thing https://t.co/9rmECpivCR
— Jesse Iwuji (@Jesse_Iwuji) June 27, 2018
“Don’t be a passerby. Go help if you see something wrong. Don’t just drive by with your cell phone and record it; stop and help. That was the main reason, to really show people that you can do your small part. It has nothing to do with trying to be a hero or anything like that. You just do the right thing,” Iwuji said.
