Man hailed as hero for saving driver from burning truck on BQE.
A Liberty Pest Control salesman turned into a highway hero in Brooklyn. NY1’s Jeanine Ramirez filed the following report.
A tractor trailer engulfed in flames after slamming into the median on the Brooklyn-Queens Expressway near Hamilton Avenue.
Pedestrians on nearby streets stop and spot the driver of the big rig still inside his cab.
Richard Taylor didn’t need much prompting when this accident happened on April 21. He jumped out of his car and headed for the burning truck.
“I thought the driver was ejected from the vehicle, so I got out first and was kind of cautious and wanted to make sure he wasn’t ejected because I was going to the truck, but I wanted to make sure there was somebody in there first,” Taylor said. “When I heard,’ Get him out, get him out,’ I knew there was movement, and that’s when I ran in.”
Taylor climbed up and pulled the driver to safety. The driver was conscious but immobile, unable to move his legs.
“The door was ajar a little bit. It was kind of opened up. So I just yanked it open and he was there with his arms out and I just pulled him out. I knew I had to get out of there fast,” Taylor said. “He couldn’t stand at all. His legs were like, they just dropped. He had no control over his legs.”
Taylor says he remembers the victim giving his name as Dean from Brick, New Jersey.
When first responders arrived, the 32-year-old hero simply drove away to his job at Liberty Pest Control in Bensonhurst, where he matter-of-factly recounted what had happened. He thought that was the end of it, but then videos of his heroics went viral. Co-workers realized what a big deal Taylor’s rescue was and contacted NY1. “He happened to be out in the right place, right time,” said co-worker John Raimonda. “It’s one of those kinds of things. Not only right place, right time, but the right guy.”
“I would like to think that everybody would do something like that,” said co-worker Ian Burstzy. “I’d like to know that I would, but until you’re faced with that situation, you never know, and he really stepped up to the plate.”
But even with the attention, Taylor is a humble hero. “God put me in that spot to help somebody, and I did it,” he said.
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